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Book 



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CDFffilGHT DEPOSHi 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Wooden Shipbuilding 

A Comprehensive Manual for Wooden 

Shipbuilders \to Which is Added a 

Masting and Rigging Guide 



COMPILED BY 

W. J. Thompson 




CHICAGO 

A. C. McCLURG & CO. 

1918 



k^ 



<6 



Copyright 

A. C. McClurg & Co. 

1918 



Published, April, 1918 



Copyrighted in Great Britain 



MAY -6 1918 






W. F. HAU PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO 

©CI.A494844 
-^wt? ( 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

This Handbook is a compilation from the most 
authoritative sources. The most important of the 
works consulted are: Patterson's Illustrated Nautical 
Encyclopedia, Paasch's Illustrated Marine Encyclo- 
pedia, Watson's Handbook of Nwual Architecture, 
Griffith's Marine and Naval ArcJiiteeture, and Mast- 
ing and Rigging, by Kipping. The compiler is also 
greatly indebted to many personal friends for the as- 
sistance rendered by them. 

W. J. T. 



CONTENTS 



Part I 

PAGE 

Wooden Ships 1 

Part II 

Masts and Eigging 91 

Methods of Masting 183 

Tables of Eigging ..... . . . . 191 



Part I 
Wooden Ships 



Wooden Shipbuilding 

A 

Afloat. — • Borne up by, or floating in, the water. 

After-Body. — That part of a ship's body abaft 
the midships, or dead-flat. This term is more par- 
ticularly used to describe the figure or shape of that 
part of the ship. 

After-Hood.^ — -. The after-most plank in a strake. 

After-Rake. — The overhang of the stem. 

After-Timbers. — All those timbers abaft the mid- 
ships or dead-flat. 

Air Funnel. — An air funnel is an opening framed 
between the clamp strake and the floor to admit air 
to the air-courses, which are spaces from four to 
six inches wide, between each set of frame timbers, 
or between sets at regular intervals, and extend from 
side to side of the ship. Such spaces are sometimes 
left open between ceilings and floors. Their purpose 
is to prevent decay by providing for the passage of 

1 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



air through the ship. Air-course boards are used 
to close these spaces. 

Aluminum for Shipbuilding. — The annual report 
of the British Aluminum Association, as printed 
some years ago in the London Times, contained the 
following comment : * * A good deal has been said 
with regard to the injurious action of sea water 
on aluminum, but the Board knew by long experi- 
ence that aluminum did not deteriorate in salt water 
to the extent that had been alleged. The yacht 
Defender was built very largely of aluminum, and 
after four and one-half years she was found to have 
deteriorated so little that very few repairs were 
necessary to put her into condition to compete with 
the Columbia at the recent trials. Torpedo boats 
and other boats, moreover, had been built in France 
partly of aluminum. As aluminum was only one- 
third the weight of copper, it was apparent that 
about one-half the quantity of aluminum gave a cor- 
responding amount of electrical conductivity to that 
given by copper. Lord Kelvin said that in the fitting 
of ships aluminum had proved valuable, convenient, 
and of great practical utility. As to the actual con- 
struction of ships with aluminum, that was a mat- 
ter which would have to be settled by the experience 
of engineers. He did not believe that the question 
of the efficiency of protecting aluminum by paint 
had yet been gone into sufficiently. If they com- 
pared an unprotected aluminum plate with steel or 

2 



Wooden Ships 



iron, he thought it would be found that the former 
did not rust away as quickly as the latter." 

Amidships. — In midships, or in the middle of the 
ship, either with regard to her length or breadth. 
Hence that timber or frame in the ship which has 
the greatest breadth and capacity is denominated 
the midship bend. 

Anchor-Lining. — The short pieces of plank, or 
board, fastened to the sides of the ship, or to stan- 
chions under the fore-channel to prevent the bill 
of the anchor from wounding the ship's sides when 
fishing the anchor. To anchor-stock is to work 
planks in a manner resembling the stocks of anchors, 
by fashioning them in a tapering form from the 
middle and working or fixing them over each other 
so that the broad or middle part of one plank shall 
be immediately above or below the butts or ends of 
two others. This method, as it occasions the use of 
much timber, is only used where particular strength 
is required, as in spirketings under ports, etc. 

Apron. — A strong piece of timber fitted on the 
inner side of the stem, to which it is bolted ; in large 
vessels it is composed of several pieces joined to- 
gether. 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



B 



Beam. — ■ Beams are timbers spanning a vessel from 
side to side, the ends being firmly attached thereto 
by hanging and lodging knees, thus connecting the 
two sides of the ship. The siding and molding are 
usually regulated by the length of the midship 
beams. In a vessel about twenty feet broad they are 
usually eight to ten inches; in one of double that 
breadth, from twelve to fifteen inches square. The 
molding near the ends is generally a trifle less than 
at the middle line. The spacing of deck beams is 
from four feet to four feet six inches. Hold beams 
are usually heavier than deck beams, and spaced 
farther apart. The molding of a beam is its depth. 
The siding of a beam its breadth. 

Beveling Board. — A piece of pine the width of 
the vertical flange of the harpin, having on it the 
bevels taken at each frame, is supplied with the 
mold. Holes are punched in the vertical flange for 
temporary attaching to the frames. The position 
of the harpin is also marked on the frames and stem 
when they are turned so that there is no difficulty 
in placing the harpin in its right position on the 
ship. 

Bilge. — The curved or flat or nearly flat part of 
a ship's bottom, outside or inside. 

4 



Wooden Ships 



Bilge Diagonal. — A bilge diagonal represents the 
shape of an oblique longitudinal plane, extending 
from the center line of the vessel to the turn of the 
bilge on the midship frame. 

Bitt. — A bitt is a post or vertical timber, usually- 
fastened in pairs to one or more decks, to which 
cables, etc., are made fast, or to support a windlass 
or the like. 

Black-Strake. — A term applied to the strake of 
planking next above the wales. 

Bobstay. — A piece of wood forming part of the 
knee of the head, to which the lower end of the bob- 
stay is sometimes connected, is more properly called 
the bobstay-piece ; while the bobstay proper is a 
chain or rope from the end of the bowsprit to the 
stem, to counteract the strain of the forestays. 

Body Plan. — The body plan is the shape of the ves- 
sel at transverse vertical planes, at different frame 
stations in the length, taken square to the keel and 
the center line, upon which is also indicated the 
decks, rail, and knuckle. 

Body-Post or Propeller-Post. — The post at the for- 
ward end of the screw-shaft opening in the dead- 
wood. 

Bolts. — Strong copper, iron, or yellow metal pins, 
employed in great numbers for binding and fasten- 

5 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



ing together the different planks and timbers of 
which a vessel is constructed. Their specific names 
depend upon their location, as follows : Bilge bolts, 
those attaching the inside and outside bil^e plank- 
ing to the frames. Breast-hook bolts, those by 
which a breast-hook is fastened to the frames, or 
to the apron, or stem. Butt-end bolts, bolts driven 
through the end of an outside plank, a timber, and 
an inside plank, and clinched to the latter or vice 
versa. Cant-timber bolt, a bolt driven through the 
heel of a cant-frame and the dead-wood. Chain 
bolts, bolts by which the chain plates are fastened 
to the vessel's side. Clamp bolts, employed in fas- 
tening a clamp to the timbers. Channel bolt, one by 
which a channel is bolted to the ship *s side. Clinched 
bolt, any bolt having a head on one end and clinched 
when driven home. Some clinched bolts are called 
drift-bolts. Crutch bolt, one fastening a crutch to 
the sternpost or frames of the vessel. Dead-wood 
bolt, employed to fasten dead-wood to the keel. 
Deck bolts, used to fasten deck planks to the beams. 
Deck-binding bolts, used to fasten the spirketings, 
waterways, shelves, etc., to the vessel's side and to 
each other. Deck-hook bolts, used to fasten deck- 
hooks. Dump bolt, one of short length and not ex- 
tending through the material with which connected. 
Eye bolt, having an eye at one end. Frame bolts, 
used to tie frames together horizontally. Garboard 
bolts, employed to fasten the garboard strakes to 
the keel and to the floors. In-an-out bolts, those 

6 



Wooden Ships 



driven from the outside through the outside plank- 
ing, timber and inside planking, or vice versa. Keel- 
son bolts, those driven through the keelson, floor, 
and keel to connect those parts. Sister-keelson 
bolts, employed to fasten a sister-keelson horizon- 
tally to the middle-line keelson, and vertically to 
the floors. Keel-scarph bolts, those by which the 
keel-pieces are connected. Knee bolts, those used 
to fasten either a hanging or lodging knee. Limber- 
Btrake bolts, used to fasten a limber strake to the 
floors. Nut bolt, having a head on one end and a 
nut on the other. Pointer bolt, one used to connect 
a pointer to a vessel's side, to a beam-end, a breast- 
hook, or a crutch. Preventer bolt, used to attach a 
preventer plate to the vessel's side. Eider bolt, used 
to fasten a rider. Ring bolts, eye bolts into which 
a riQg is fastened. Rudder-brace bolt, used in fasten- 
ing a rudder brace to the sternpost and to the after- 
hoods of the outside planking. Rudder-pintle bolts, 
used to fasten the metal strap in connection with 
the rudder pintle to the rudder. Shelf bolt, used to 
fasten shelves to the ship's sides. Stemson bolts, 
those fastening a stemson to the apron. Stemson 
bolts, used to connect a stemson to the sternpost, or 
inner post. Throat bolts, those driven through the 
throat of a knee, a hook, etc. Through bolts, those 
that pass through the pieces they connect. Transom 
bolts, bolts by which a transom is connected to the 
stem timbers of a ship. Up-and-down bolts, driven 
up downward and vice versa. Waterway bolts, those 

7 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



by which a waterway is fastened to the frames and 
beam-ends of a vessel. 

Baot-Topping. — This is the term given to a wood 
sheathing which is fitted between the light and deep 
water lines on the outside planking of a vessel. It is 
fitted either above a low metal sheathing as a protec- 
tion from the sea-worm, or sometimes underlying 
the upper portion of such sheathing. The object is 
to cover the metal bolt-heads, and thus prevent the 
destructive action which would be caused by their 
contact with the copper or yellow metal sheathing. 

Bow Line. — A curve showing a vertical section of 
a vessel's bow in the profile or sheer, forward of mid- 
ships; the molded shape of the ship at a vertical 
plane parallel to the longitudinal center line. 

Bowsprit. — A spar projecting forward and usually 
slightly upward from the bow of the vessel, resting 
upon the stem and the apron, supporting the jib 
boom and the flyin,g jib boom of a ship. 

Boxing of Keel and Stem. — The scarph that unites 
the lower end of the stem to the fore end of the keel. 

Bulkhead. — One of various partitions in a vessel 
which separate it into desired rooms or divide the 
hold into water-tight compartments. A collision 
bulkhead is sometimes placed across the bows of a 

8 



Wooden Ships 



ship to prevent further influx of water if the bows 
are stove in. 

Bulwark. — The bulwarks of a wooden vessel com- 
prise the bulwark stanchions, bulwark planking, and 
a rail, which form together a kind of palisade around 
an upper deck, a poop deck, a raised quarter-deck, 
etc., varying from two to six feet in height, accord- 
ing to the size of the vessel and the purpose for which 
it is intended. The main bulwark is the one fitted 
around the upper deck. The topgallant bulwark is 
one of small height, fitted on top of the main bul- 
wark. 

Butt-Chocks. — Short pieces of wood which are 
used to connect the heads and heels of frame timbers. 

Buttock. — A buttock is similar to a bowline, being 
a continuation of it and applying to the part abaft 
of the midship frame. 



Buttocks. — The plural of buttock. 



Camber of Beam. — The camber of beam is the 
''round-up'* of the deck, sometimes called the crop, 
and is usually one-fourth of an inch to the foot. 

Cant. — A term used with reference to the inclina- 
tion that anything has from a square or perpendic- 
ular. To cant is to level or shape. 

9 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Cant Ribbands. — Those ribbands that do not lie 
in a horizontal or level direction, or square with the 
middle line, but are nearly square with the timbers, 
as the diagonal ribbands. 

Cant Timbers.— Cant timbers are those timbers 
afore and abaft whose planes are not square with, or 
perpendicular to, the middle line of the ship. 

Caps. — Those square pieces of oak, laid upon the 
upper blocks, on which the ship is built, to receive 
the keel. They should be of the most freely grained 
oak, that they may be easily split out when the false 
keel is to be placed beneath. Their depth may be a 
few inches more than the thickness of the false keel, 
that it may be set up close to the main keel by 
slices, etc. 

Cap-Scuttle. — This is a framing composed of coam- 
ings and head ledges, raised above the deck, with a 
flat or top which struts or fits closely over into a 
rabbet. 

Carlings or Carlines. — These are long pieces of 
timber, above four inches square, which lie fore-and- 
aft, in tiers, from beam to beam, into which their 
ends are scarphed. They receive the ends of the 
ledges for framing the decks. The carlings by the 
side of, and for the support of the masts, which re- 
ceive the framing around the masts, called the part- 

10 



Wooden Ships 



ners, are much larger than the rest, and are named 
the mast carlings. Besides these are others, such 
as the pump carlings, which go next without the 
mast carlings, and between which the pumps pass 
into the well; and also fire-hearth carlings, that let 
up under the beam on which the galley stands, with 
pillars underneath and chocks upon it, which are 
fayed up to the edges for support. 

Carvel Work. — This is a term applied to cutters 
and boats in which the seams of the bottom plank- 
ing are square, and are to be made tight by calking 
as those of ships. It is opposed to the phrase 
' * clincher built, ' ' which see. 

Calking. — Calking is the forcing of oakum into 
the seams and between the butt of the plank, etc., 
with iron instruments in order to prevent the water 
penetrating into the ship. 

Ceiling or Foot-Waling. — The inside planks of the 
bottom of the ship. 

Cellular Double Bottoms. — Most screw steamers 
and some large sailing ships are made with double 
bottoms to carry water ballast. The double bottom 
is accessible by manholes through the floors in differ- 
ent places. 

Center of Cavity or of Displacement. — The center 
of that part of the ship's body which is immersed 

11 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



in the water, and which is also the center of the 
vertical force that the water exerts to support the 
vessel. 

Center of Gravity. — The point about which all the 
the parts of a body, in any situation, exactly balance 
each other; hence, (1) If a body is suspended by this 
point as the center of motion it will remain at rest 
in any position indifferently. (2) If a body be sus- 
pended by any other point, it can rest only in two 
positions, viz. : when the center of gravity is exactly 
above or below the point of suspension. (3) When 
the center of gravity is supported, the whole body is 
kept from falling. (4) Because this point has a con- 
stant tendency to descend to the center of the earth ; 
therefore: (5) "When the point is at liberty to de- 
scend, the whole body must also descend, either by 
sliding, rolling, or tumbling over. 

Center of Lateral Resistance (see Lateral Resist- 
ance). 

Center of Mation.^ That point of a body that re- 
mains at rest while all the other parts are in motion 
about it. It is the same as the center of gravity in 
bodies that are of uniform density throughout. 

Center of Oscillation. — That point in the axis or 
line of suspension of a vibrating body or system of 
bodies in which, if the whole matter or weight be 
collected, the vibration will still be performed in the 

12 



Wooden Ships 



same time and with the same angular velocity as be- 
fore. 

Center af Percussion. — In a moving body, this is 
that point where the percussion or stroke is the 
greatest and in which the whole percutient force 
of the body is supposed to be collected. Percussion 
is the impression which a body makes in falling or 
striking upon another, or the shock of bodies in mo- 
tion striking against each other. It is direct or 
oblique : direct when the impulse is given in a line of 
perpendicular to the point of contact, and oblique 
when it is given in a line oblique to the point of 
contact. 

Center of Resistance to Fluid. — That point in a 
plane to which, if a contrary force be applied, it will 
just sustain the resistance. 

Chain or Chains. — The links of iron which are 
connected to the binding that surrounds the dead- 
eyes of the channels. They are secured to the ship 's 
side by a bolt through the toe-link, called a chain 
bolt. 

Chain Bolt. — A large bolt to secure the chains of 
the dead-eyes, for the purpose of securing the masts 
by the shrouds. 

Chain Plates. — Thick iron plates, which are bolted 
to the ship's sides, sometimes used instead of chains 
to the dead-eyes, as above. 

13 



Wo oden Ship b uilding 



Chamfering. — Taking off the sharp edge of timber 
or plank, or cutting the edge or end of anything 
bevel or aslope. 

Change of Frames. — The bosom of the fore-body 
frames look toward the midships, and the after-body 
frames do the same. The change takes place on 
the midship frame. This is done because of the ex- 
cessive bevel which would occur at one end if they 
all looked the same way, preventing the riveting of 
the shell flange. 

Channels. — The broad projections or assemblages 
of planks, which are fayed and bolted to the ship's 
sides for the purpose of spreading the shrouds with 
a greater angle to the dead-eyes. They should there- 
fore be either above or below the upper deck ports, as 
may be most convenient. But it is to be observed that, 
if placed too high they strain the sides too much; 
and if placed too low the shrouds cannot be made to 
clear the ports without difficulty. Their disposition 
will therefore depend on that particular which will 
produce the greatest advantage. They should fay to 
the sides only where the bolts come through and 
have an open space of about two inches in the rest of 
their length to admit of a free current of air and 
form a passage for water and dirt in order to pre- 
vent the sides from rotting. 

Channel Wales. — ^ Three or four thick strakes, 
worked between the upper and lower deck ports in 

14 



Wooden Ships 



two-decked ships, and between the upper and middle 
deck ports in three-decked ships, for the purpose of 
strengthening the topside. They should be placed 
in the best manner for receiving the chain and pre- 
venter bolts, the fastenings of the deck knees, etc. 

Cheeks. — These are knees of oak timber which 
support the knee of the head, which are also orna- 
mented by their shape and moldings. They form 
the basis of the head and connect the whole to the 
bows, through which, and the knee, they are bolted. 

Chestrees. — Pieces of oak timber fayed and bolted 
to the topsides, one on each side, abaft the fore 
channels, with a sheave fitted in the upper part fot 
the convenience of hauling home the main tack. 

Chine. — That part of the waterways that is left 
the thickest above the deck plank. It is bearded 
back that the lower seam of the spirketing may be 
more conveniently calked, and is gouged hollow in 
front to form a water course. 

Chinse. — To chinse is to calk slightly with a knife 
or chisel those seams or openings that will not bear 
the force required to calk in a more proper manner. 

Chocks. — Blocks or pieces of timber of different 
shapes, which are employed for various purposes, 
and called bow-chock, butt-chock, floorhead-chock, 
etc. 

15 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Clamps. — Those substantial strakes worked inside 
the ship upon which the ends of the beams are placed. 

Classifioation Registry Depth. — This is taken from 
the top of the keel to the top of midship beam at 
the center line, except that in spar and awning- 
decked vessels it is taken to the main deck. 

Classification Registry Length.— This is taken on 
the level of the upper deck from the inside of the 
stem to the inside of the sternpost. 

Clean. — ^A term generally used to express the 
acuteness or sharpness of a ship's body, as when a 
ship is formed very acute or sharp forward and the 
same aft, she is said to be clean forward and aft. 

Clincher Built. — A term applied to the method of 
construction of vessels and boats when the planks of 
the bottom are so disposed that the lower edge of 
every plank overlays the next under it, and the fas- 
tenings go through and clinch or turn upon the 
timbers. It is opposed to the term *' carvel work." 

Clinching or Clenching. — Spreading the point of 
the bolt upon a ring, etc., by beating it with a ham- 
mer in order to prevent its drawing. 

Coaking. — To unite by coaks or tenons on the 
faces of the timbers to be joined ; or, to unite pieces 

16 



Wooden Ships 



of spar by means of tubular projections, formed by 
cutting away the solid of one piece into a hollow, 
so as to make a projection on the other in such a 
manner that they may fit correctly, the butts pre- 
venting the pieces from drawing asunder. Coaks are 
fitted into beams and knees of vessels to prevent 
their drawing. 

Coaming. — The raised border of oak about the 
edges of the hatches and scuttles, which prevents 
water from flowing down from off the deck. Its 
inside upper edge has a rabbet to receive gratings. 

Companion. — In ships of war it is the framing 
and sash lights upon the quarter-deck or poop 
through which the light passes to the commander's 
apartments. In merchant ships it is the birthing or 
hood around the ladder-way leading to the master's 
cabin, and in small ships is chiefly for the purpose 
of keeping the sea from beating down. 

Compass Timbers.— Such as are curved or arched. 

Conversion. — The art of lining and molding tim- 
ber, plank, etc., with the least possible waste. 

Coping. — Turning the ends of iron lodging knees 
so they may hook into the beams. 

Counter. — A part of the stem, the lower counter 
being that arched part of the stem immediately 

17 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



above the wing transom. Above the lower counter 
is the second counter, the upper part of which is 
the under part of the lights or windows. The coun- 
ters are parted by their rails, as the lower counter 
springs from the tuck-rail, and is terminated on the 
upper part by the lower counter rail. From the 
upper part of the latter springs the upper or second 
counter, its upper part terminating in the upper 
counter rail, which is immediately under the lights. 

Counter Rail. — One of the ornamental rails across 
a vessel's stern, with which the counters merge. 

Counter Sunk or Counter Sink. — The hollows in 
iron plates, etc., which are excavated by an instru- 
ment called the counter-sunk bitt, to receive the 
heads of screws or nails so that they may be flush 
or even with the surface. 

Counter Timbers. — The right-aft timbers which 
form the stern. The longest run up and form the 
lights, while the shorter only run up to the under 
part of them, and help to strengthen the counter. 
The side counter timbers are generally formed of 
two pieces scarphed together in consequence of their 
peculiar shape, as they not only form the right-aft 
figure of the stem, but partake of the shape of the 
topside also. 

Cove. — The arch molding sunk in at the foot or 
lower part of the taffarel. 

18 



Wooden Ships 



Crab. — A sort of little capstan formed by a kind 
of wooden pillar, whose lower end works in a socket, 
while the middle traverses or turns around in part- 
ners, which clip it in a circle. In its upper end are 
two holes to receive bars, which act as levers, and by 
which it is turned around, serving as a capstan for 
the raising of weights, etc. By a machine of this 
kind, so simple in its construction, may be hove up 
the frame timbers, etc., of vessels when building. For 
this purpose it is placed between two floor timbers, 
while the partners which clip it in the middle, may be 
four or ^YO inch plank fastened on the same floor. 
A block is fastened beneath in the slip with a central 
hole for its lower end to work in. Besides the crab 
there is another kind which is shorter and portable. 
The latter is fitted in a frame composed of cheeks, 
across which are the partners, and at the bottom is a 
little platform to receive the spindle. 

Cradle. — • A strong frame of timber, etc., which is 
k placed under the bottom of a ship in order to conduct 
her steadily in her ways till she is safely launched 
into water sufficient to float her. 

Crank. — A term applied to ships which have been 
built too deep in proportion to their breadth, and 
which are as a consequence in danger of oversetting. 

Croalcy. — A term applied to plank, when short 
lengths curve or compass much. 

J9 



Wo oden Ship b uildmg 



Cross Chocks. — Pieces of timber fayed across the 
dead-wood, amidships, to make good the deficiency 
of the heels of the lower futtocks. 

Cross Pauls. — Pieces of timber that keep a vessel 
together while in frame. 

Cross Piece. — A piece of timber connecting two 
bitts. 

Cross Spales. — Deals of fir plank nailed in a tem- 
porary manner to the frames of a ship at a certain 
height, and by which the frames are kept to their 
breadths, nntil the deck knees are fastened. The 
main and top timber breadths are the heights mostly 
taken for spalling the frames, but the height of the 
ports is much better, yet this may be found too high 
if the ship is long in building. 

Crutches or Clutches. — The crooked timbers fayed 
and bolted upon the foot-waling abaft for the se- 
curity of the heels of the half timbers. Also stan- 
chions of iron or wood whose upper parts are forked 
to receive rails, spare masts, yards, etc. 

Cup. — A solid piece of cast iron let into the step 
of a capstan, in which the iron spindle at the heel 
of the capstan works. 

Cutting-Down Line. — The elliptical curve line 
forming the upper side of the floor timbers at the 

20 



Wooden Ships 



middle line. Also, the line that forms the upper 
part of the knee of the head above the cheeks. The 
cutting-down is represented as limiting the depth of 
every floor timber at the middle line, and also the 
height of the upper part of the dead-wood afore and 
abaft. 

Cutwater. — A piece of timber bolted to the fore 
side of a stem, extending from near the knee of the 
head down to the gripe, or to the keel, as the case 
may be ; and thus cutting the water when the vessel 
is in progress. Ordinarily, however, the term cut- 
water is applied to the knee of the head itself. 



Dagger. — A piece of timber that faces onto the 
poppets of the bilge ways and crosses them diagon- 
ally to keep them together. The plank that secures 
the heads of the poppets is called the dagger plank. 
The word dagger seems to apply to anything that 
stands diagonally or aslant. 

Dagger Knees. — Knees used to supply the place 
of hanging knees. Their side arms are brought up 
aslant, or nearly so, to the under side of the beam 
adjoining. They are chiefly used in connection with 
the lower deck beams of merchant ships, in order 
to preserve as much stowage in the hold as possible. 

2X 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



Any straight-hanging knees not perpendicular to the 
side of the beam are in general termed dagger knees. 

Dead-Flat. — A name given to that timber or frame 
which has the greatest breadth and capacity in the 
ship, and which is generally called the midship bend. 
In those ships where there are several frames or 
timbers of equal breadth or capacity, that which is 
in the middle should always be considered as dead- 
flat, and distinguished as such by this character +. 
The timbers before the dead-flat are marked A, B, C, 
etc., in order; and those abaft the dead-flat by the 
figures 1, 2, 3, etc., while the timbers adjacent to the 
dead-flat and of nearly the same dimensions, are dis- 
tinguished by the characters, (A), (B), and (1), (2), 
etc. 

Dead Rising or Rising Line of the Floor. — Those 
parts of the floor or bottom throughout the ship's 
length where the sweep or curve at the head of the 
floor timber is terminated or inflects to join the keel. 
Hence, although the rising of the floor at the mid- 
ship flat is but a few inches above the keel at that 
place, its height forward and aft increases according 
to the sharpness of form in the body. Therefore, 
the rising of the floor in the sheer plan is a curved 
line drawn at the height of the ends of the floor 
timbers, and limited at the main frame or dead-flat 
by the death-rising, appearing in flat ships nearly 
parallel to the keel for some timbers afore and abaft 

22 



Wooden Ships 



the midship frame, for which reason these timbers 
are called flats ; but in sharp ships it rises gradually 
from the main frame, and ends on the stem and post. 

Dead Water. — The eddy water which the ship 
draws after her at her seat or line of floating in the 
water, particularly close aft. To this particular 
great attention should be paid in the construction 
of a vessel, especially those with square tucks; for 
such, if carried too low in the water, will be attended 
with great eddies, or much dead water. Vessels 
with round buttocks have but little or no dead water, 
because by the rounding or arching of such vessels 
abaft, the water more easily recovers its state of rest. 

Dead- Wood. — That part of the basis of a ship's 
body forward and aft which is formed by solid pieces 
of timber, scarphed together lengthways on the keel. 
These should be sufficiently broad to admit of a 
stepping or rabbet for the heels of the timbers, that 
the latter may not be continued downward to sharp 
edges; and they should be sufficiently high to seat 
the floors. Afore and abaft the floors the dead-wood 
is continued to the cutting-down line for the purpose 
of securing the heels of the cant timbers. 

Depth in the Hold. — The height between the floor 
and the lower deck. This is one of the principal 
dimensions given for the construction of a ship. It 
varies according to the height at which guns are 

23 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



required to be carried from the water in war ships, 
or according to the trade for which a vessel is de- 
signed. 

Designing^. — The art of designing, as distinguished 
from making a block model by the eye and building 
a boat from it, first attracted public attention about 
forty years ago. At this time the iron cutter yacht 
Vindex was brought out. The Vindex was designed 
on a drawing board and the lines made to the out- 
side of the plank, while the displacement, center of 
gravity of the same, center of lateral resistance, and 
various other particulars of construction were cal- 
culated before the model was made, and it was not 
until these matters were settled that the model was 
made ; but the boat was actually built from the lines 
as drawn. Shortly after this, other boats were built 
after the new method, and though the battle was 
fought by the model-makers with great vigor, the 
new method has conquered. and now naval architec- 
ture is a fashionable profession. The drawing-board 
method is to assume a load water line, and all the 
other dimensions are proportionate to this dimension. 
The plan is drawn to the outside of plank, and the 
model, when made free from the lines, is exactly 
like the proposed boat. The displacement, center 
of gravity of the same, center of lateral resistance, 
areas of cross section, and other particulars are all 
predetermined points. This seems to be but common 
sense, but the block-model system was so strongly 

24 



Wooden Ships 



intrenched in the affections of yachtsmen that no 
amount of ridicule was enough to heap on the heads 
of the '* paper-boat builders." 

Diagonal Line. — A line cutting the body plan 
diagonally from the timbers to the middle line. It 
is square with, or perpendicular to, the slope of the 
timbers, or nearly so, till it meets the middle line. 

Diagonal Ribband. — A narrow plank made to a 
line formed on the half-breadth plan, by taking the 
intersections of the diagonal line with the timbers 
in the body plan to where it cuts the middle line 
in its direction, and applying it to their respective 
stations on the half-breadth plan, which forms a 
curve to which the ribband is made as far as the 
cant body extends, and the square frame adjoining. 

Displacement. — The weight of water displaced by 
the bottom and sides of a vessel below the water line. 
The displacement is a predetermined quantity and 
time and care are taken to figure it correctly. One 
way is to set off at the station of cross section the 
area in linear feet on a small scale for convenience ; 
then make a curve of versed sines for the forward 
body ; the after body being a trochoidal curve, based 
upon a radius of one-tenth of the length of the after 
body. A curve is drawn to take in these points 
and the L. W. L. divided up by ordinates and a cal- 
culation made of the contents. As the linear feet 

25 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



at cross section represents the area of that section, so 
does every point in the curve represent the area of 
a section at that point, and the result of the calcula- 
tion is the half displacement. It has been found that 
the displacement, as shown on this curve, comes 
very close to that of the best boats and may be ac- 
cepted as a law. This method was outlined by Mr. 
John Hyslop of New York, about the time that it 
was presented to the public by Mr. Colin Archer of 
Norway, and we are indebted to the labors of these 
gentlemen for a displacement shown on one line. 
The theory is that the line of least resistance is a 
curve of versed sines for the fore body and a tro- 
choidal curve for the after body, and this idea is 
applied to the cross sections and not to the water 
line. For though there have been large vessels that 
had a true versed sine curve below the water line, 
no rule could be given as to how much or how little 
should be taken off the line end of the curve for a 
water line for a small boat ; moreover, this line could 
only be applied to a boat of great beam and shallow 
body, and this type of model is a poor sea boat and 
unsafe. If the displacement should be too small, a 
larger cross section must be made and the curve 
projected anew and a new calculation made. The 
draught of water, power to carry sail, and general 
behavior of the boat depends upon the displacement. 

Dog. — An iron implement used by shipwrights. 
It has a fang at one or both ends which may be 

26 



Wooden Ships 



driven into any piece of timber to support it while 
hewing, etc. Another kind has a fang at one end 
and an eye in the other in which a rope may be 
fastened and used to haul things. 

Dog Shore. — A shore particularly used in launch- 
ing. 

Doubling. — Planking a ship's bottom twice. It 
is sometimes done on new ships when the original 
planking is thought to be too thin, and in repairs it 

strengthens the ship without having to drive out the 
former fastenings. 

Doweling. — A method of coaking by letting pieces 
into the solid, or uniting pieces together by tenons. 

Draught. — The drawing or design of the ship upon 
paper describing the different parts from which the 
ship is to be built. It is usually drawn on a scale 
of one-quarter of an inch to a foot, so divided or 
graduated that the dimensions may be taken to one 
inch. 

Draught of Water.— The depth of water a ship 
displaces when she is afloat. 

Drifts. — This term is sometimes applied to the 
place where the sheer is raised and the rails cut off, 
and also to the scroll pieces with which the rails are 

27 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



ended, by others called drift pieces. Also the dif- 
ference between the diameter of a mast and its en- 
circling hoop, or between a hole and the treenail 
driven into it. 

Driver. — ^The foremost spur on the bilge ways, 
the heel of which is forged to the foreside of the 
foremost poppet, and cleated on the bilge ways. The 
sides of it stand fore and aft. Now seldom used. 

Drumhead. — The head of a capstan formed of 
semicircular pieces of elm, which, framed together, 
form the circle into which the capstan bars are fixed. 

Dmxey. — A state of decay in timber with white 
spongy veins, the most deceptive of all defects. 

Dumb-Chalder. — A metal cleat or block, bolted to 
the after side of a vessel's stempost for the end of 
a rudder pintle to rest on. It relieves the rudder- 
braces by preventing the whole weight of the rudder 
from resting on them. 



E 

Edging of Plank. — Sawing or hewing it narrower. 

Ekeing. — Making good the deficiency in the length 
of any piece by scarphing or butting, as at the end 

28 



Wooden Ships 



of deck hooks, cheeks, or knees. The ekeing at the 
lower part of the supporter under the cathead is 
only to continue the shape and fashion of that part, 
and is of no other service. We make this assertion 
because if the supporter were stopped short without 
an ekeing it would be better. This ekeing causes 
the side to decay, and it commonly appears fair to 
the eye in but one direction. The ekeing is also the 
piece of carved work under the lower part of the 
quarter-piece at the aft part of the quarter-gallery. 

Elevation. — The orthographic draught, or perpen- 
dicular plan, of a ship, whereon the heights and 
lengths are indicated. It is called by shipwrights 
the sheer draught. 

Elliptical Stem. — An oval-shaped, overhanging 
stern. 

End of the Stem Bar or Figure Step. — The bobstay 
is fastened on the end of the stem bar, which should 
terminate in such a position that the stay when fixed 
will clear the front, and yet allow sufficient to form 
a figure of six to eight feet in length. 

Entrance. — A term applied to the fore part of the 
ship under the load- water line, as '' She has a fine 
entrance, '* etc. 

Even Keel. — A ship is said to be on an even keel 
when she draws the same quantity of water abaft as 

29 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



forward; also when she has no list, and is not in- 
clined by the head or stern. 



Face Pieces. — Pieces of wood wrought on the fore 
part of the knee of the head. 

Pacing. — The rabbeting of one piece of timber 
into another in order to strengthen it. 

Fair. — ^A term used to denote the evenness or 
regularity of a curve or line. 

Fairness. — When the buttocks, bow, and sheer line 
in the profile, the level deck, knuckle, and boundary 
lines in the half-breadth, and the frame stations in 
the body, show continuous curves without abrupt- 
ness the ship is fair; or when spots taken from any 
two plans and placed in the third show continuity 
without abruptness. Until this is the case there must 
be an interchange of spots from one plan to the 
other to secure agreement and fairness. 

Palling Home or Tumbling Home. — The inclina- 
tion which the topside has inward from a perpendic- 
ular. 

False Keel. — A second keel, composed of elm plank 
or thick stuff, fastened slightly under the main keel 

30 



Wooden Ships 



to prevent it from bein^g rubbed. Its advantages 
also are that if the ship should strike the ground, 
the false keel will give way and the main keel will 
thus be saved. It will also be the means of causing 
the ship to hold the wind better. 

False Post. — A piece tabled onto the after part 
of the heel of the main part of the stempost. It 
is to assist the conversion and preserve the main post 
should the ship's tail go aground. 

False Rail. — A rail fayed down upon the upper 

side of the main or upper rail of the head. It is 

to strengthen the head-rail, and forms the seat of 

ease at the after end next the bow. 
» 

Fashion Pieces. — The timbers so called because 
they fashion the after part of the ship in the plane 
of projection by terminating the breadth and form- 
ing the shape of the stem. They are united to the 
ends of the transoms and to the dead-wood. 

Fastening. — The bolts and treenails, by which the 
numerous planks, timbers, etc., of a vessel are fas- 
tened and kept together. Some of the terms by 
which they are designated are single fastening, 
double fastening, double-and-single fastening, exter- 
nal fastening, inside fastening, dump fastening, 
through fastening, etc. 

Fay. — To join one piece so close to another that 
there will be no perceptible space between them. 

31 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Felt. — Matted fibrous matter, which is produced 
in sheets and is used between the sheathing to pre- 
vent leaking and to protect from worms. 

Figure-Head. — A figure or bust, which is fitted 
on the extremity of a knee of the head. Sometimes 
an inward turned, carved scroll is used; it is then 
called a fiddle figure-head. 

Filling Timbers. — The intermediate timbers be- 
tween the frames that are gotten up into their places 
singly after the frames are ribbanded and shored. 

Finishing. — Carved ornaments of the quarter-gal- 
lery below the second counter and above the upper 
lights. 

Flairing. — The reverse of falling or tumbling 
home. This can only be in the fore part of the ship. 
It is said that the ship has a flairing bow when the 
topside falls outward from a perpendicular. Its 
uses are to shorten the cathead, and yet keep the 
anchor clear of the bow. It also prevents the sea 
from breaking in upon the forecastle. 

Flam. — The same as flairing. 

Flats. — A name given to the timbers amidships 
that have no beveling and are similar to dead-flat, 
which is distinguished by this character -j- (see Dead- 
flat). 

32 



Wooden Ships 



Floor. — The bottom of a ship, or all that part on 
each side of the keel which approaches nearer a 
horizontal than a perpendicular, and wheron the 
ship rests when aground. 

Floors or Floor Timbers. — The timbers that are 
fixed athwart the keel and upon which the whole 
frame is erected. They generally extend as far for- 
ward as the foremast, as far aft as the after square 
timber, and sometimes one or two cant floors are 
added. 

Flush. — A continued even surface, as a flush deck, 
which is a deck upon one continued line without in- 
terruption from fore to aft. 

Foot- Waling. — The inside planks or lining of a 
vessel over the floor timbers. 

Fore Channel. — The channel of the fore-shroud. 

Fore Body. — That part of the ship's body afore 
the midships or dead-flat. This term is more particu- 
larly used with reference to the figure or shape of 
that part of the ship. 

Forecastle. — That portion of the spar deck which 
is forward of the after fore-shroud. 

Fore-Foot. — The foremost piece of the keel. 
33 



Wooden ShipbuUdmg 



Fore-Lock. — A thin circular wedge of iron used 
to retain a bolt in its place by being thrust through 
a mortise hole in the end of the bolt. It is some- 
times turned or twisted around the bolt to prevent 
its drawing. 

Fore-Peek. — Close forward under the lower deck. 

Frames. — The bends of timber which form the 
body of the ship, each of which is composed of one 
floor timber, two or three futtocks, and a top timber 
on each side, which, joined together, form the frame ; 
of these frames or bends, that which encloses the 
greatest space is called the midship or main frame 
or bend. The arms of the floor timber form a very 
obtuse angle, and in the other frames this angle 
decreases or gradually becomes sharper fore-and-aft 
with the middle line of the ship. Those floors that 
form the acute angle afore and abaft are called the 
rising floors. A frame of timbers is usually formed 
by arches or circles called sweeps, of which there 
are generally five: (1) The floor sweep, which is 
limited by a line in the body plan perpendicular to 
the plane of elevation, a little above the keel; and 
the height of this line above the keel is called the 
dead rising. The upper part of this arch forms the 
head of the floor timber. (2) The lower breadth 
sweep, the center of which is in the line representing 
the lower height of breadth. (3) The reconciling 
sweep. This sweep joins the two former without in- 

34 



Wooden Ships 



tersecting either, and makes a fair curve from the 
lower height of breadth to the rising line. If a 
straight line be drawn from the upper edge of the 
keel to touch the back of the floor sweep, the form of 
the midship frame below the lower height of breadth 
will be obtained. (4) The upper breadth sweep, the 
center of which is in the line representing the upper 
height of breadth of the timber. This sweep de- 
scribed upwards forms the lower part of the top 
timber. (5) The top timber sweep or back sweep, 
is that which forms the hollow of the top timber. 
This hollow is, however, very often formed by a 
mold, so placed as to touch the upper breadth sweep 
and pass through the point limiting the half -breadth 
of the top timber. 

Frame Timbers. — The various timbers that com- 
pose a frame bend, as the floor timber, the first, sec- 
ond, third, and fourth futtocks, and top timber, 
which are united by a proper shift to each other, 
and bolted through each shift. They are often kept 
open for the purpose of securing a circulation of 
air, and fillings fayed between them in wake of the 
bolts. Some ships are composed of frames only, and 
are supposed to be of equal strength with others of 
larger scantling. 

Freeboard. — The height of the side from water 
line to deck, or plank sheer. 



35 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Futtacks. — The separate pieces of timber of which 
the frame timbers are composed. They are named 
according to their location; that nearest the keel is 
called the first futtock; the next above, the second 
futtock, etc. 



Garboard Strake. — That strake of the bottom 
which is wrought next the keel and rabbets therein. 

Graving-Piece. — A small piece of wood inserted in 
a deck plank in place of a damaged or decayed spot. 

Gripe. — A piece of elm timber that completes the 
lower part of the knee of the head and makes a finish 
with the fore-foot. It bolts to the stem, and is 
further secured by two plates of copper in the form 
of a horseshoe, and is therefore called by that name. 

Ground Ways. — Large pieces of timber, generally 
defective, which are laid upon piles driven in the 
ground, across the dock or slip in order to make a 
good foundation for the block upon which the ship 
is to rest. 

Gudgeons. — The braces on the sternpost on which 
the rudder hangs. 

Gunwale. — That horizontal plank which covers the 
heads of the timbers between the main and fore 
drifts. 

36 



Wooden Ships 



Half -Breadth Plan. — • A ship construction drawing 
showing the rail line, plank sheer line, and all water 
lines as curves, and the ending of all lines in the 
sheer plan are squared down to their respective 
planes in the half-breadth plan. 

Half -Timbers. — The short timbers in the cant 
bodies which are answerable to the lower futtocks 
in the square body. 

Hanging Knees. — Those knees against the sides 
of the vessel the arms of which hang vertically or 
perpendicularly. 

Harpins. — Pieces of oak, similar to ribbands, but 
trimmed and beveled to the shape of the body of 
the ship, and holding the fore-and-aft cant bodies 
together until the ship is planked. But this term is 
most applicable to those at the bow, hence arises the 
phrase '' lean and full harpins," as the ship at this 
part is more or less acute. 

Head. — The upper end of an3rthing, but more par- 
ticularly applied to all the work fitted afore the 
stem, as the figure, the knee-rails, etc. A *' scroll 
head '* means that there is no carved or ornamental 
figure at the head, but that the termination is formed 

37 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



and finished off by a volute or scroll turning out- 
wards. A " fiddle head "is a similar kind of finish, 
but with the scroll turning aft or inwards. 

Head-Ledges. — The thwartship pieces which frame 
the hatchways and ladder ways. 

Head-Rails. — • Those rails in the head which extend 
from the back of the figure to the cathead and bows, 
which are not only ornamental to the frame but also 
useful to that part of the ship. 

Heel. — -The lower end of a tree, timber, etc. A 
ship is said to heel when she is not upright but in- 
clines under a side pressure. 

Helm Port Transom. — A piece of timber which is 
placed across the lower counter on the inside of the 
height of the helm port, and bolted through every 
timber for the security of that part. 

Hogging (Broken-backed). — A ship is said to hog 
when the middle part of her keel and bottom have 
been so strained as to curve or arch upward. This 
is the opposite of sagging, which, applied in a similar 
manner, means, in consequence of an opposite kind 
of strain, to curve downward. 

Hold. — That part of the ship which is below the 
lower deck between the bulkheads, and which is re- 
served for the stowage of ballast, water, and pro- 

38 



Wooden Ships 



visions in ships of war, and for cargo in merchant 
vessels. 

Hooding Ends. — Those ends of the plank which 
bury in the rabbets of the stem and sternposts. 

Hook and Butt. — A mode of fastening timbers to- 
gether endways by scarphing or laying the ends over 
each other. 

Horse-Iron. — An iron fixed in a handle and used 
with a beetle by calkers to horse up or harden in the 
oakum. 

Horseshoes. — Large straps of iron or copper 
shaped like a horseshoe and let into the stem and 
gripe on opposite sides, through which they are 
bolted together to secure the gripe of the stem. 

Hull. — The whole frame or body of a ship exclu- 
sive of the masts, yards, sails, and rigging. 



In-And-Out. — A term sometimes used for the 
scantling of the timbers of the molding way, but 
more particularly applied to those bolts in the knees, 
riders, etc., which are driven through the ship 's sides 
or athwartships, and therefore called in-and-out 
bolts, 

39 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Inner Post. — A piece of oak timber brought on and 
fayed to the fore side of the main sternpost, for the 
purpose of seating the transoms upon it. It affords 
greater security to the ends of the plank, as the main 
post is seldom sufficiently afore the rabbet for that 
purpose, and gives greater strength to that part of 
the ship. 



Keel. — The main and lower timber of a ship, ex- 
tending longitudinally from the stem to the stem- 
post. It is formed of several pieces, which are 
scarphed together endways, and form the basis of 
the whole structure. It is generally the first thing 
laid down upon the block in the construction of a 
ship. 

Keelson or Kelson. — The timber formed of long 
square pieces of oak, fixed within the ship exactly 
over the keel, and which may, therefore, be consid- 
ered as the counterpart of the latter, for binding and 
strengthening the lower part of the ship ; for which 
purpose it is fitted to and laid upon the middle of 
the floor timbers and bolted through the floors and 
keel. 

Knees. — The crooked pieces of oak timber by 
which the ends of the beams are secured to the side^ 

' 40 



Wooden Ships 



of the ship. Of these such as are fayed vertically 
to the sides are called hanging knees, and such as 
are fixed parallel to, or with the hang of, the deck, 
are called lodging knees. 

Knee of the Head. — The large flat timber fayed 
edgeways upon the fore part of the stem. It is 
formed of an assemblage of pieces of oak coaked or 
tabled together edgeways, on account of its breadth, 
and it projects the length of the head. Its fore part 
should form a handsome serpentine line or inflexed 
curve. The principal pieces are called the main-piece 
and lacing. 

Knight Heads or Bollard Timbers. — The timbers 
next the stem on each side and continued high enough 
to form a support for the bowsprit. 

Knuckle. — An acute angle on some of the timbers 
of a ship. 



Laborsome. — Subject to or likely to labor or to 
pitch and roll violently in a heavy sea, by which the 
masts and even the hull may be endangered. For by 
a series of heavy rolls the rigging becomes loosened, 
and the masts may strain upon the shrouds with such 
force that they may be unable to resist. Also the 

41 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



continual agitation of the vessel is likely to loosen 
her joints and make her extremely leaky. 

Lacing. — A piece of compass or knee timber which 
is fayed to the back of the figure-head and the knee 
of the head and bolted to each. 

Lap Over or Upon. — ^The mast carlings are said 
to lap upon the beams on account of their great 
depth, and the head-ledges at the ends lap over the 
coamings. 

Lateral Resistance. — The resistance of the water 
against the sides of a vessel in a direction perpendic- 
ular to her length. 

Launching Plstnks. — A set of planks, generally 
used to form the platform on each side of the ship, 
on which the bilge ways slide for the purpose of 
launching. 

Laying Off or Laying Down. — The act of delineat- 
ing the various parts of the ship to its true size upon 
the mold loft floor, from the draft given for the pur- 
pose of making molds, is performed as follows : The 
vessel is represented as being cut in sections, usually 
in three ways: First, crossways; second, on level 
or parallel lines with the water line ; third, by verti- 
cal section or parallel lines with that through the 
keel, stem, or sternpost. These sections are : First, 

4§ 



Wooden Ships 



the body plan, which forms the most prominent part 
and represents the vessel as being cut crossways of 
the keel ; second, the breadth plan, which represents 
the vessel as being cut by lines parallel with the 
water line; third, the sheer plan, or a longitudinal 
view supposing the vessel to be divided or cut right 
through the center, and looking at one of the halves, 
where divided. These three plans combined are what 
is generally known as the draught of a ship. With- 
out due attention and accuracy in laying down, it is 
almost impossible to obtain a good form of vessel 
and insure fairness ; nor could the architect without 
them give any statement of the probabilities of the 
behavior, or speed, or estimate accurately the weight 
of the structure, carrying capacity, or cost. 

To commence to lay a vessel down, the first thing 
necessary is a level (or nearly level) floor. It need 
not be so long that the vessel may be represented on 
it at full length, but must be wide enough to take 
the full width and depth of the vessel. Some of the 
government navy yards have lofts of sufficient size 
for the full length of the largest vessels, but in gen- 
eral practice this is not the case. 

Next, a measure batten or pole is to be made, and 
this pole is to be the standard for all measurements 
both in this work and in the building yard. It is 
very important to establish this at the very outset. 

Now make a long batten or pole about two and 
one-half inches wide by three-fourths of an inch in 
thickness, that will extend the entire length of the 

43 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



floor, to be used for sheer lines or those not requiring 
much curve, and known as the sheer batten. Also 
one about one and one-fourth inches wide by three- 
fourths of an inch thick, suitable for being used on 
greater curves and known as the water line batten. 
Also one about three-fourths of an inch wide by one- 
half an inch thick and known as the body plan 
batten. 

It will be found convenient to have at hand several 
smaller battens with the size reduced and the ends 
tapered for use on special curves. A number of 
large awls are also required for holding the battens 
in place ; some loft men, however, prefer nails sharp- 
ened to a point for this use. Procure also chalk of 
two or more colors and wide pencils. 

Having decided upon a satisfactory plan or model, 
to transfer the same to the floor you will begin by 
first taking the measurements from the plan or model 
by a scale in the same manner they are to be placed. 
In doing so it is customary to make ** a table of 
ordinates.'' Much labor will be saved in the loft 
room by using great accuracy and care in reading 
the scale and compiling the table, as well as in the 
setting off in the loft. The table is usually made to 
read feet, inches, and eights of an inch. 

If a measurement is a trifle more than one-eighth 
of an inch the sign plus (+) is added, and if less 
than one-eighth of an inch the sign minus (-) is 
added; thus 12, 3, 7+ would be read twelve feet, 
three inches, and seven-eighths of an inch full. 

44 



Wooden Ships 



Now strike or mark on the floor a straight line on 
the body plan. This is called the base line. Next 
erect a line at right angles to the base. This line 
will be the center line of the vessel. Make parallel 
lines with the base line four to six feet apart. These 
are termed water lines. Now set off parallel lines 
on each side of the center line. They are usually 
dotted on the body plan. Also put a line each side 
of the center for the breadth of the ship, and then 
set off lines that represent the rise of the floor. 

Next, strike a level line which will represent the 
center of the ship and run parallel lines at two feet, 
four feet, and six feet apart. Of course we assume 
in this case only three sections with lines two feet 
apart, but number and spacing may be lessened or 
increased to suit the size of the vessel. At the base 
line on the plan set off a frame section, at right 
angles to the base line. They generally represent 
every sixth frame, but can be varied according to 
the shape of the ship. The first and last are called 
the after and forward perpendiculars. In the sheer 
plan draw lines parallel to base, two, four, and six 
feet apart, they are termed water lines, the same 
as on the body plan. Next set off frame sections 
and vertical lines, at right angles to the base, space 
and number similar to those on the half-breadth 
plan. "When this is finished, all the fixed lines are 
established on the floor. It is customary in laying 
off the sheer and half-breadth plans to make the 
base line serve for both. 

45 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Where the mold loft is rather short to admit of 
a vessel being laid down full length, the vessel may 
be contracted, that is, frame sections are placed 
half the proper distance apart. In vessels with 
very fine lines it is advisable to contract the lengths, 
especially at the ends, as it causes the lines to show 
more of a fullness or curve, and consequently the 
battens will give a quicker curve, and detect errors 
in setting off any uneven places in the lines. 

From the table of ordinates mark sheer spots on 
all the section lines on the sheer plan, and with long 
batten draw the sheer line fore and aft, using a 
piece of chalk. From the table of ordinates mark 
points for the stem at each water line, and measur- 
ing forward from one of the frame sections, place 
a batten on the points obtained and draw in curve 
for the shape of the stem ; also from the table mark 
off stern points at certain level lines parallel with 
water line and draw in curve by the aid of a bat- 
ten. From the table, set off on the body plan a 
half-breadth at two feet water line, also half- 
breadths at four and six feet water lines, and half- 
breadth and height of rail for midships from 
section four. Nail or pin a batten down to the points 
already obtained and see that the curve is fair, 
then draw it with chalk or pencil. Next take frame 
section five, mark half -breadths at the various water 
lines and rail and draw a line through the points 
with batten as before. 

Proceed and line in all the other frame sections 
46 



Wooden Ships 



on the body plan in a similar way as four. If bat- 
ten does not pass exactly through the spots do not 
force it back to the spots, but see that the curve 
is fair, the height of the foot of the seventh sec- 
tion to be taken from the seventh section line on 
the sheer plan. Again take the half-breadth of six 
feet water line at the various frame sections on the 
body plan and transfer them onto the half-breadth 
plan in this manner; lay batten on frame section 
four and mark off water line points, then transfer 
batten onto fifth frame section line and mark off 
water line points, and so on until you have points on 
each frame section transferred to half -breadth plan. 
Pin batten down to pass through points and mark in 
water lines. Transfer all other water-line points 
from the body to the half -breadth plan in like man- 
ner, and run in lines ; also the width of deck lines 
is to be treated similar to water lines. The taking 
of water lines on the half-breadth plan are trans- 
ferred from plan where each water line intersects 
stem and stem lines. 

Now fair and prove the water lines by vertical 
longitudinal sections, already marked by dotted lines 
on the body and half-breadth plans. Transfer 
heights from the base line of the body plan, where 
the transverse sections intersect line on the same 
frame station. Points may also be transferred from 
the half -breadth plan to the sheer plan for the de- 
velopment of the vertical longitudinal section. 
When water lines on the half -breadth plan intersect 

47 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



vertical longitudinal section lines, these points would 
be squared up to the sheer plan; and where they 
intersect the corresponding water lines, a batten 
should be fastened down and a line run in. Any 
change of the lines in one plan makes a correspond- 
ing change in the other plans. It is customary to 
test correctness of form by running diagonal lines 
on the body plan. The process of fairing the ship 
by diagonal lines instead of water lines is much the 
same. Take off sets from the diagonal in the same 
way as with water lines on the body plan and trans- 
fer them onto the half -breadth plan. The difference 
in running these lines, from the water lines, is prin- 
cipally in establishing the point from which meas- 
urements are to be taken. Where the batten does 
not pass through points marked, the new distance 
should be transferred back to the plan from which 
it was taken, and a new line drawn, so that all points 
when transferred from one plan to another will 
agree. After having proved that all water lines, 
frame section lines, and diagonals meet their cor- 
responding marks in the several places, the vessel 
has been faired. Up to this point we have only ob- 
tained the form of the vessel and the shape of certain 
frames; The intermediate frame lines can now be 
run in on the half-breadth and sheer plans, stern, 
cants, longitudinals, keelsons, ribbands, and floors. 

Deck lines and edges of outside planking require 
to be marked off on the various plans and faired, 
and the method to be pursued is similar to that 

48 



Wooden Ships 



already described. Some draughtsmen use a shorter 
or contracted method for fairing. Thus, a few 
frames evenly spaced are put in the body plan on 
the floor from model or table at once. They then 
take a board about eight inches wide by three feet 
long, and with square marks across the same about 
one-half inch apart, each mark representing a frame 
section. On this set off from the edge of the board, 
the edge being used as the first water line (not as 
a center line) ; the first line run will represent the 
second water line, or, in other words, the difference 
in the increase in the width of the water line. This 
is continued up to the widest water line. 

Beveling of frames is a term often used, and means 
the amount of angle which must be put on the out- 
side of frames in order that the same, if extended, 
would meet the adjacent frame. These angles are 
taken from the floor and placed on small boards 
known as " bevel boards." 

There are many other lines employed in the mold- 
loft work not referred to herein, such as buttock 
lines, bow lines, dead-wood lines, bearing or step- 
ping lines, rabbet lines, ribband lines, etc., but they 
are used for special purposes, and have reference 
to some local portion of the structure of the ves- 
sel, such as the shaping of the knight heads, counter 
frames, hawse pieces, cant frames, etc. 

The above is the method which was used by 
C. H. Simonds. Below is given the system of lay- 
ing off which has been practiced in the past in the 

49 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



yards of C. S. Swan & Hunter, and which, were 
said to have been a decided success. The use of 
paper, on account of its shrinkage, having caused 
some discrepancies, and the use of wood tables not 
proving entirely satisfactory, it was decided to use 
white marble with cast glass and opal. 

The principal table for laying off on a one-inch 
scale is composed of white marble slabs, fitted in 
lengths of about six feet, carefully jointed, with 
a total length of thirty feet. On this table the sheer 
and the half-breadth plans are drawn. The other 
two tables — one of cast glass and one of opal — 
are used for the fore and after bodies respectively. 
It may be mentioned that the draughtsman in charge 
of the work preferred the white marble to either of 
the other tables, as he found that the glossy sur- 
face of the cast glass and opal were against quick 
work with a drawing pen, and in cold weather the 
moisture from the hands condensed more rapidly on 
these than on the marble. 

The laying off is done to a scale of one inch to 
the foot. The system adopted is briefly as follows : 
The level lines and frames having been marked off 
on the sheer slab, the sheer and half -breadth of the 
rail are faired by contraction and drawn in. They 
are then transferred to the section slab, thus giving 
the correct sheer and half-breadth at the top of 
each frame station. The water lines are now roughed 
in on the half-breadth and the buttocks faired to 
them in the sheer. Then the buttock and water 

50 



Wooden Ships 



line spots are transferred onto the section table 
and the cross sections drawn in. Corrections are 
here made until the buttock, water line, and sec- 
tion spots all agree in absolute fairness. When 
this stage has been arrived at, diagonals are drawn 
in on the body section table in convenient positions, 
as square to the frame as practicable. These diag- 
onals are then lifted off and run on the sheer slab 
to further fair up the sections. The midship por- 
tions of the water lines and buttocks are faired 
by contraction. The work up to this stage has been 
done in pencil, but now the correct lines are inked 
in. The offsets are now lifted off and transferred 
to the loft book for scriving and future reference. 
The slabs are easily cleaned with ' ' Monkey Brand, ' ' 
or some similar soap, and are ready for fresh work. 

Ledges. — Oak or fir scantling used in framing 
the decks, which are let into the carlings athwart- 
ship. The ledges for gratings are similar, but arch 
or round up to conform to the head ledges. 

Lengthening'. — ■ The operation of separating a ship 
athwartships, and adding a certain portion to her 
length. It is performed by clearing or driving out 
all the fastenings in wake of the butts of those 
planks which may be retained and the others are 
cut through. The after end is then drawn apart 
to a limited distance, equal to the additional length 
proposed. The keel is then made good, the floors 

51 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



crossed, and a sufficient number of timbers raised 
to fill the vacancy produced by the separation. The 
keelson is then so replaced as to break the joints 
formed by the new scarphs of the keel, and as many 
beams as may be necessary are placed across the 
ship in the new interval, and the planks on the out- 
side are placed with a proper shift. The clamps and 
foot-waling within the ship are then supplied, the 
beams kneed, and the ship completed in all respects 
as before. 

Length Between Perpendiculars. — In the case of 
perpendicular stem and stemposts, the length is the 
level distance between the after side of the stem- 
post and the fore side of the stem in line of the 
upper deck. In case of rake stem, or stem or clipper 
stem, it is the line between the perpendiculars, 
dropped from the after side of the sternpost and the 
fore side of the stem. 

Length Over AIL— The length from the extreme 
point of the stem to the fore end of the figure-head, 
or extreme point of the stem. 

Let-in. — To fix or fit one timber or plank into 
another, as the ends of cartlings into the beams, 
and the beams into the clamps, receptacles being 
made in each to receive the other. 

Level-Lines. — The lines which determine the shape 
of the ship's hody horizontally, or square from the 

52 



Wooden Ships 



middle line of the ship. These are made by hori- 
zontal planes, coinciding with the water lines, when 
the ship is on an even keel. 

Limber Holes. — Square grooves cut through the 
under side of the floor timber, about nine inches 
from the keel on each side, through which water 
may run toward the pump-well from the entire 
length of the floors. This precaution is necessary 
in merchant ships only, where small quantities of 
water, in consequence of the heeling of the ship, 
may come through the ceiling and damage the cargo. 
It is on this account that the lower futtocks of 
merchant ships are cut off short of the keel. 

Limber POrSsage. — A passage or channel formed 
throughout the whole length of the floor, on each side 
of the keelson, to give the water a free course to the 
pumps. It is formed by the limber strake on each 
side, a thick strake wrought next to the keelson, from 
the upper side of which the depth of the hold is 
always taken. This strake is kept at about eleven 
inches from the keelson. The upper part of the lim- 
ber passage is formed by the limber boards, which 
are made to keep out all dirt and other obstructions. 
These boards are composed of short pieces of oak 
plank, one edge of which is fitted by a rabbet into 
the limber strake, and the other edge beveled with 
a descent against the keelson. They are fitted in 
short pieces for the convenience of taking up any 

53 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



one or more readily, in order to clear away any 
obstruction in the passage. When the limber boards 
are fitted, care should be taken to have the butts 
in those places where the bulkheads come, as there 
will be no difficulty then in taking up those which 
come near the bulkheads. A hole is bored in the 
middle of each butt to admit the end of a crow for 
prizing it up, when required. To prevent boards 
from being displaced, each one should be marked 
with a line corresponding with one on the limber 
strake. 

Lips of Scarphs. — The thick end left on each of 
the pieces of timber, which are united by a scarph 
joint. Otherwise they would become sharp and 
liable to split; and in other cases would not bear 
calking, as the scarphs of the keel, stem, etc. 

Lodging Knees, (see Knees). 

Long Timbers. — Timbers in the cant bodies which 
reach from the dead-wood to the head of the second 
futtock. 

Loof . — That part of a vessel where the planks be- 
gin to bend as they approach the stern. 

Lopsided. — A term which is used to describe a ves- 
sel when she will not swim upright, because her 
sides are unequal. 

H 



Wooden Ships 



M 

Main Breadth. — The broadest part of the ship 
at any particular timber or frame, which is dis- 
tinguished on the sheer draught by the upper and 
lower heights of breadth lines. 

Main Wales. — The lower wales, which are gen- 
erally placed on the lower breadth, and so that the 
main deck knee bolts may come into them. 

Manger. — An apartment extending athwart the 
ship immediately within the hawse holes. It serves 
to prevent the passage of water, which may come 
in at the hawse holes, or from the cable when heav- 
ing in. The water, thus prevented from running 
aft, is returned into the sea by the manger scup- 
pers, which are larger than the other scuppers on 
that account. 

Mauls. — Large hammers used for driving tree- 
nails, having a steel face on one end and a point or 
pen drawn out at the other. Double-headed mauls 
have a steel face at each end, of the same size, and 
are used for driving bolts, etc. 

Measurement. — The rule by which the length, etc., 
of a vessel is determined. 

Meta-Center. — That point in a ship above which 
the center of gravity must by no means be placed; 

55 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



because if it were, the vessel would be likely to 
overset. The meta-center, which has also been called 
the shifting center, depends upon the location of 
the center of gravity, for it is the point where a 
vertical line drawn from the center of cavity cuts 
a line passing through the center of gravity, and 
perpendicular to the keel. 

Middle Line. — A line dividing the ship exactly in 
the middle. In the horizontal, or half -breadth plan, 
it is a right line bisecting the ship from the stem to 
the sternpost. In the plane of projection, or body 
plan, it is a perpendicular line bisecting the ship 
from the keel to the height of the top of the side. 

Midship Section. — The fullest part of the ship, and 
is generally placed midway between the perpendi- 
culars. In some cases it is nearer the stern than 
the stem. It is supposed to be at the lowest point 
of the sheer. 

Molded. — Cut to mold. Also the size or largeness 
of dimension of the timbers that way the mold is 
laid. 

Molded Beam. — The greatest width of the ship 
from heel of frame to heel of frame on the midship 
section. 

Molded Depth. — The vertical distance from the 
top of the keel, square out to the side, and the under 

56 



Wooden Ships 



side of the upper deck stringer plate at the lowest 
point of the sheer. 

Molds. — Pieces of deal or board made to the shape 
of the lines of a mold-loft floor, as the timber, har- 
pins, ribbands, etc., for the purpose of using them 
as patterns to cut out the different pieces of tim- 
ber, etc., for the ship. Also the thin, flexible pieces 
of pear tree, or box, used in constructing the draught 
and plans of ships, which are made in various shapes, 
viz., to the segments of circles of from one foot to 
twenty-two feet radius, increasing six inches on 
each edge; and numerous elliptical curves, with 
other figures. 

Momenta. — The plural of momentum. 

Momentum. — The momentum of a heavy body, or 
of an extent considered as a heavy body, is the 
product of its weight multiplied by the distance 
of its center of gravity from a certain point, assumed 
at pleasure, which is called the center of momentum, 
or from a line which is called the axis of the mo- 
mentum; or, more briefly stated, it is the product 
of the mass by the velocity, and may be determined 
by a simple geometric formula. 

Mortise. — A hole or hollow made of a certain size 
and depth in a piece of timber, etc., in order to 
receive the end of another piece with a tenon, which 
exactly fits the mortise. 

57 



Wooden ShiphuUding 



Munions. — -The pieces that are placed vertically 
to divide the panels in framed bulkheads; also be- 
tween the lights in a ship's stern and quarter-gal- 
leries. 



K 



Nails. — Iron pins of various kinds which are used 
to fasten the boards, planks, and iron work of a 
ship. The different kinds, named according to the 
purpose for which they are used, are as follows: 
Deck nails, or spike nails, which are from four 
inches and a half to twelve inches long, and have 
snug heads, and are used for fastening planks and 
the flat of the deck. Weight nails are similar to 
deck nails, but not so fine, have square heads, and 
are used for fastening cleats, etc. Ribband nails 
are similar to weight nails with this difference, they 
have large round heads, so as to be easily drawn; 
they are used for fastening the ribbands, etc. 
Clamp nails are short, stout nails, with large heads 
for fastening iron clamps. Port nails, double and 
single, are similar to clamp nails, and are used for 
fastening iron work. Rider nails are also similar, 
but are used chiefly for fastening the pintles and 
braces. Filling nails (now obsolete )were generally 
of cast iron, and driven very thickly into the bot- 
tom planks instead of copper sheathing. Sheathing 
nails (obsolete) were used to fasten wood sheathing 
on the ship's bottom to preserve the plank, and 

58 



Wooden Ships 



prevent the filling nails from tearing it too much. 
Nails of other kinds are four, six, eight, ten, twenty- 
four, thirty, and forty penny nails, of different 
lengths, and used for nailing board, etc. Scupper 
nails are short nails with very broad heads, used 
to nail the flaps to the scuppers. Lead nails are 
small round-headed nails for the nailing of lead. 
Flat nails are small sharp-pointed nails, with flat, 
thin heads, and are used for nailing the scarphs of 
molds. Sheathing nails, for nailing copper sheath- 
ing, are of metal, cast in molds, and are about one 
inch and a quarter long. They have flat heads, pol- 
ished to prevent the adhesion of weeds, and are 
counter sunk. Boat nails, used by boat builders, 
are of various lengths, generally rose-headed, square 
at the points, and made of both copper and iron. 

Naval Architect. — A designer of vessels. 



Oakum. — Old rope, untwisted and loosened like 
hemp, in order to be used in calking. 

Orlop. — A deck on battle ships, which is placed 
below the berth deck and on which the cables were 
formerly coiled. 

Over-Launch. — To run the butt of one plank to 
a certain distance beyond the next, but above or 
below it, in order to make stronger work- 

59 



Wooden Shipbtiilding 



Palletiiig. — A slight platform made above the bot- 
tom of the magazine in battle ships, to keep the 
powder from absorbing moisture. 

Palls. — Stout pieces of iron, so placed near a 
capstan or windlass as to prevent a recoil, which 
might overpower the men at the bars when heaving. 

Paper-Boat Designers. — A name which was once 
applied in ridicule by block-model designers to naval 
architects who forsook the jackknife and block of 
pine for the arithmetic and the drawing board. 

Partners. — • Those pieces of thin plank, etc., fitted 
into a rabbet in the mast or capstan carlings for 
the purpose of wedging the mast and steadying the 
capstan. Also any plank that is thick, or projects 
above the rest of the deck, for the purpose of steady- 
ing or strengthing whatever passes through the deck, 
as the pumps, bowsprit, etc. 

Pay. — To lay on a coat of tar, etc., with a mop 
or brush in order to preserve the wood and keep 
out water. When one or more pieces are scarphed, 
as the beams, etc., the inside of the scarphs are 
payed with tar as a preservative, and the seams, 
after they are calked, are payed with pitch to keep 
the water from the oakum, etc. 

60 



Wooden Ships 



Pink.: — A ship with a narrow round stern ; hence 
all vessels, however small, having their sterns fash- 
ioned in this manner are said to be pink-stemed. 

Pintles. — Straps of mixed metal, or of iron, fast- 
ened onto the rudder, in the same manner as the brace 
on the sternpost, having a stout pin or hook at the 
ends, with the points downward to enter in and 
rest on the braces, on which the rudder traverses 
or turns as upon hinges, from side to side. Some- 
times one or two are shorter than the rest, and work 
in a socket brace, which allows the rudder to turn 
more easily. The .latter are called dumb pintles. 
Some are bushed. 

Pitch. — Tar boiled until it forms a harder and 
more tenacious substance. 

Pitching. — The inclination or vibration of the 
ship lengthways about her center of gravity, or the 
motion by which she plunges her head and after 
part alternately into the hollow of the sea. 

Planking. — Covering the outside of the timbers 
with planks, sometimes called skinning, the plank 
forming the outer coating when the vessel is not 
sheathed. 

Plank-Sheers or Plank-Sheer. — The pieces of plank 
laid horizontally over the timber heads for the pur- 
pose of covering the top of the side, hence some- 
times called covering boards. 

61 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Poppets. — ! Those pieces (generally fixed) which 
are placed perpendicularly between the ship's bot- 
tom and the bilge way at the fore and aftermost 
parts of the ship to support her when launching. 

Point- Velique. — That point where, in a direct 
course, the center of effort of all the sails should 
be found. 

Port. — Ports are square openings in the bulwark, 
side, bow, or stem of a vessel, and serve various pur- 
poses; some of the ports are the ballast-port, the 
bow-port, and the stem-port. 

Profile or Sheer. — The longitudinal elevation with 
the stem placed to the right-hand side. It shows 
the sheer of rail, knuckle, and decks, the position of 
the frame stations or sections, and the level or 
water lines ; the form of the ship at the center line, 
and at the fixed longitudinal vertical planes, parallel 
to the center, called bow and buttock lines. 

Pump. — The machine fitted in the walls of ships 
to draw water out of the hold. 

Pump Cisterns. — Cisterns fixed over the heads 
of pumps to receive the water until it is conveyed 
through the sides of the ship by the pump-dales. 

Pump-Dales. — Pipes fitted to the cisterns to con- 
vey the water from them through the ship's sides. 

62 



Wooden Ships 



Q 

Quarter-Galleries. — rThe projections from the 
quarters abaft, fitted with sashes and balluster, and 
intended both for convenience and ornament to the 
aft part of the ship. 

Quicken. — To give anything a greater curve. For 
instance, to " quicken the sheer " is to shorten the 
radius by which the curve is struck. This term, 
therefore, means the opposite of * * straightening the 
sheer. ' ' 

Quick Work. — That part of a vessel which is above 
the chain wales and decks, so called in shipbuild- 
ing on account of its rapidity of construction. The 
term is also applied to that part of the vessel that 
is under water when she is laden. 



R 



Rabbet. — A joint made by a grove, or channel, 
in a piece of timber, cut for the purpose of receiv- 
ing and securing the edge or ends of the planks ; as 
the planks of the bottom into the keel, stem, or 
sternpost, or the edge of one plank into another. 

Rag-Bolt. — A kind of bolt having its point jagged 
or barbed to make it hold more securely. 

63 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Rake. — The overhang of the stem or stern beyond 
a perpendicular with the keel, or any part or thing 
that forms an obtuse angle with the horizon. 

Ram-Line. — A small rope or line sometimes used 
to strike the center line of a vessel, or to run its 
sheer lines or hang of the decks, for setting the 
beams fair, etc. 

Rasing. — The act of marking, by a mold, on a 
piece of timber, or any marks made with a tool 
called a rasing knife. 

Reconcile. — To make one piece of work answer 
fair with the molding or shape of the adjoining 
piece; and more particularly in the reversion of 
curves. 

Reeming. — A term used by calkers, meaning the 
act of opening the seams of the planks, that the 
oakum may be more readily admitted. 

Reeming-Irons. — The large irons used by calkers 
in opening the seams. 

Rends. — Large open splits or shakes in timbers, 
particularly in plank, caused by exposure to the 
wind or sun. 

Ribbands. — rThe longitudinal pieces of fir, about 
^Ye inches square, nailed to the timbers of the 

64 



Wooden Ships 



square body (those of the same description in the 
cant body being shaped by a mold called harpins) 
to keep the body of the ship together, and in its 
proper shape, until the planking is attached. The 
shores are placed beneath them. They are removed 
entirely when the planking is fastened on. The 
difference between the cant ribbands and the square 
or horizontal ribbands is, that the latter are only 
ideal and used in laying off. 

Bibband Lines. — The same as diagonal lines. 

Riders. — Interior timbers occasionally placed op- 
posite to the principal ones, to which they are 
bolted, and extending from the keelson to the beams 
of the lower deck. 

Rise of Bottom. — Produce the line of the midship 
bottom to the half-breadth perpendicular, then the 
distance between this point and the base line, squared 
from the top of the keel, is the rise of the bottom. 
It is in most places straight, but in war vessels or 
yachts it may be round or hollow. 

Rising. — A term derived from the shape of the 
ship's bottom in general, which gradually narrows 
or becomes sharper toward the stem and the stern- 
post. It is on this account that the floor toward 
the extremities of the ship is raised or lifted above 
the keel ; otherwise the ship would be so very acute 

65 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



as not to be provided with timber of sufficient 
strength in the middle, or cutting down. The floor 
timbers forward and abaft are with regard to their 
general form and arrangement, therefore gradually 
lifted or raised upon a solid body of wood called 
the dead- or rising-wood, which of course must have 
more or less rising as the body of the ship assumes 
more or less fulness or capacity. 

Rising Floors. — The floors forward and abaft, 
which, on account of the rising of the body, are the 
most difficult to construct, as they must be deeper 
in the thwart, or at the cutting down, to preserve 
the strength. 

Rising Line. — An elliptical line drawn on the 
plan of elevation to determine the sweep of the floor- 
heads throughout the ship's length, which accord- 
ingly determines the shape of the bottom with regard 
to its being full or sharp. 

Rising of Boats. — -A narrow strake of board which 
is fastened inside to support the thwarts. 

Rolling. — That motion by which a ship vibrates 
from side to side. Eolling is, therefore, a kind of 
revolution about an imaginary axis passing through 
the center of gravity of the ship, so the nearer the 
center of gravity is to the keel the more violent 
will be the roll. 

66 



Wooden Ships 



Room and Space. — The distance from the mold- 
ing edge of one timber to the molding edge of the 
next timber, which is always equal to the breadth 
of the two timbers and two or four inches more. 
The room and space of all ships, that have ports, 
should be so disposed that the scantling of the tim- 
ber on each side of the lower ports and the size of 
the ports, fore-and-aft, may be equal to the distance 
of two rooms and spaces. 

Rough Tree-Rails.^ In men-of-war they are the 
broad plank running fore-and-aft covering the heads 
of the top timbers, thus forming the bottom of the 
hammock netting. In merchant vessels the rails 
along the waist and quarters, nearly breast-high, to 
prevent persons falling overboard, are called rough 
tree-rails. This term originated from the practice 
in merchant vessels of carrying their rough or spare 
gear in crutch irons along the waist. 

Round-Ribbed. — A vessel carrying very little run 
and flat-bottomed. 

Rudder Chocks. — Large pieces of fir, to fay or fill 
up the excavation on the side of the rudder in the 
rudderhole, so that the helm being in midship, the 
rudder may, if desired, be fixed in that position. 

Rudder Trunk. — This trunk is a casing made of 
wood or steel plate about the hole in a ship's stern, 

67 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



through which the rudderhead passes, and should 
be sufficiently large to allow the rudder to go into 
position easily, without disturbing the structure. 

Rudder. — A broad flat device of varying form, 
hinged vertically to or abaft the sternpost of a ves- 
sel, or at the stem of a boat, and serving to change 
the course of the vessel when it is swung to either 
side. In large vessels it is operated with a pair of 
chains or cables, a wheel, and their mechanism. 

Run. — The narrowing of the ship abaft, as of the 
floor toward the sternpost, where it becomes no 
broader than the post itself. This term is also used 
when speaking of the running or drawing of a line 
on the ship, or mold-loft floor, as ^' to run the wale 
line, ' ' or deck line, etc. 

Rung Heads. — The upper ends of the floor tim- 
bers. 



S 



Sail Plan. — The side elevation of a vessel, showing 
the sails as they will appear when they are bent and 
stretched. 

Scantling. — The dimensions given for the tim- 
bers, planks, etc. Likewise all quartering under 
five inches square, which is called scantling; all 
above that size is called carling. 

68 



Wooden Ships 



Scarph or Scarf. — A lapped joint made by bevel- 
ing off, notching, or otherwise cutting away the sides 
of two timbers at the ends, and bolting or strapping 
them together so as to form one continuous piece, 
usually without increase of thickness. 

Scarphing. — The letting of one piece of timber 
or plank into another with a lap, in such a manner 
that both may appear as one solid and even surface, 
as keel-pieces, stem-pieces, etc. 

Scrieve Board. — A platform formed of well-sea- 
soned deals, laid edge to edge, fastened securely to- 
gether, and placed in a position near the frame 
furnace or frame-bending slabs. It is planed on the 
topside and coated with a mixture of lampblack and 
liquid turpentine. When dry the body plan is 
copied upon it, and the lines cut in with a scrieve 
knife. Sometimes both sides of the ship are scrieved 
in with the base line of each body on opposite edges, 
so that the frames lap onto each other; but to pre- 
vent confusion it is better to place each full body 
on separate boards, or only to scrieve in half the 
ship. 

Scuppers. — Lead pipes let through the ship 's sides 
to convey the water from the decks. 

Seams. — The openings between the edges of the 
planks when wrought. 

69 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Seasoning. — A term applied to a ship kept stand- 
ing a certain length of time after she is completely 
formed and dubbed out for planking, which should 
never be less than six months when circumstances 
will permit. Seasoned plank or timber is such as 
has been cut down and sawn out one season at least, 
particularly when thoroughly dry and not liable to 
shrink. 

Seating. — That part of the floor which fays on 
the dead-wood, and of a transom which lays against 
the post. 

Sending or Scending. — The act of pitchin,g vio- 
lently into the hollow or intervals of the waves. 

Setting or Setting To. — The act of making the 
plank, etc., fay close to the timbers by driving 
wedges between the plank, etc., and a wrain staff. 
Hence we say, *' set, or set away,'' meaning to exert 
more strength. The power or engine used for the 
purpose of setting is called a sett, and is composed 
of two ring-bolts and a wrain staff, cleats, and 
lashings. 

Shaken or Shaky. — A natural defect in plank or 
timber when it is full of splits or clefts and will not 
bear fastenings or calking. 

Sheathing. — A thin kind of doubling, or casing, or 
fir board or sheet copper, and sometimes of both, 

70 



Wooden Ships 



over the ship's bottom to protect the plank from 
worms, etc. Tar and hair, or brown paper dipped 
in tar and oil, is laid between the sheathing and 
the bottom. 

Sheer. — The longitudinal curve or hanging of a 
ship 's side in a fore-and-aft direction. 

Sheer Draught. — The plan of elevation of a ship 
on which is described the outboard work, as the 
wales, sheer rails, ports, drifts, heads, quarters, post, 
stem the hang of each deck inside the height of the 
water line, etc. 

Sheer Plan. — A ship construction drawing which 
shows the side elevation, rail-plank sheer, outlines 
of stem, stern, keel, and overhang. The water lines 
appear in this plan as straight lines, as do also the 
frame lines. 

Sheer Line. — An approximate mean sheer in inches 
may be found by dividing the length in feet between 
the perpendiculars by ten and adding ten. The 
sheer aft is usually made one-third of the total, which 
leaves two-thirds for the forward. The lowest point 
of the sheer may or may not be on the midship 
frame. 

Sheer Strake. — The strake or strakes wrought in 
the topside, of which the upper edge is wrought well 

71 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



with the top timber line, or top of the side, and the 
lower edge kept well with the upper part of the 
upper deck ports in midships, so as to be continued 
whole all the way fore-and-aft and not cut by the 
ports. It forms the chief strength of the upper part 
of the topside, and is therefore always worked 
thicker than the other strakes, and scarphed with 
hook and butt between the drifts. 

Shell Flange. — The outward turn of the shell of a 
steel block, such as are used for cargo blocks, and 
attached to cargo or swinging booms. 

Ships. — The development of the shipbuilder's art 
dates from a very early time. There is thought to 
be very little question that the Phoenicians were the 
leaders in this development. However, representa- 
tions of Egyptian ships have been found which were 
not later than 3000 years b. c. Some of these were 
large vessels with as many as twenty-six oars on a 
side and carrying two masts. The shipwrights of 
Corinth and Syracuse gained considerable renown 
among the Ancients, while the Romans after the first 
Punic "War rapidly developed a navy of their own 
construction. Some of their great corn ships, which 
were used to carry grain from Egypt, are said to 
have been as much as one hundred and twenty cubits 
long by thirty cubits broad and twenty-nine cubits 
in depth. About the time of Charlemagne the Vik- 
ings appeared along the western coast of Europe, and 

72 



Wooden Ships 



with them came another departure in the develop- 
ment of sea-going vessels. 

The period of the Crusades was one of great ac- 
tivity in shipbuilding, in which the Venetians and 
Genoese were the leaders. The Saracens also are 
said to have had some great vessels. There is a 
story of the destruction of a ship by Richard Coeur 
de Lion, which had three masts and on board of 
which were fifteen hundred men. 

In England during the time of Henry the Fifth 
many large vessels were built and called " great 
ships, cogs, carracks, ships, barges, and balingers." 
During the time of the Tudors there was still greater 
advance made in shipbuilding. Pictures of ships 
are shown which carried several tiers of guns, four 
and even ^yq masts, and with enormous structures 
in the way of forecastles and deck houses aft. 

During the seventeenth century, as a result of the 
expansion of trade under the East India Company 
and otherwise, there was considerable improvement 
in shipbuilding. The Dutch and French had taken 
their places on the seas and were engaged in build- 
ing ships. Some of the French ships are said to 
have been larger and of greater speed than the 
English ships. 

The introduction of steam as a motive power 
wrought inevitable changes in the shipbuilding in- 
dustry, and led to the introduction of iron and 
steel to a greater extent than had been attempted 
before in the construction of ships. 

73 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



So far as the distribution of sails is concerned, 
the sailing ships of today differ little from those 
of the middle of the nineteenth century, and in the 
case of many types little from those of a much 
earlier period. The change from wood to iron and 
steel has resulted, of course, in some changes in 
the rigging to suit the longer and larger vessels; 
and steel masts, with wire rope, standing rigging, 
and various other labor-saving devices, have been 
introduced. The larger ships carry steam winches, 
steam windlasses, and steam steering gear, but the 
general appearance of the vessels has not changed 
very greatly. 

Mention is made of schooners which carry as many 
as seven or eight masts, the largest sailing vessel 
afloat in 1910 was said to be the five-masted barque 
B. C. Bickmers, which was four hundred and forty- 
one feet long over all, with a fifty-three foot eight 
inch beam. 

Sailing ships with auxiliary power are those which 
are provided with auxiliary steam or other propel- 
ling machinery, by the use of which towage costs 
are saved and better headway made. It is expected 
that the introduction of heavy oil engines will enable 
the vessels so equipped to compete successfully with 
tramp steamers in certain trades. 

The greatest period of development in American 
shipbuilding was from 1812 to 1850, and the yards 
were full of busy men until about 1861. Forty years 
of war had led the Americans to design ships for 

74 



Wooden Ships 



speed and handiness, and the builders carefully 
studied the models and rigs. to attain these qualities. 
Such study and experiment placed the American 
builders ahead of others, and their models were 
copied the world over by shipbuilders. As a result 
of that study, by 1850 the American sailing vessel 
had reached perfection and little advance has been 
made since then. 

Siding or Sided. — The sides or dimensions of tim- 
ber the contrary way to molding or molded side. 

Sirmarks. — The different places marked upon the 
mold where the respective bevelings are required, as 
the lower sirmark, floor sirmark, etc. 

Sister Keelson. — Long pieces of timber connected 
endways by scarphs, placed on each side of the main 
keelson, and extending as far forward and aft as 
practicable, for the purpose of giving additional 
strength at the middle line of a vessel. They are 
fastened by through-bolts horizontally to the middle- 
line keelson and vertically to the floors. 

Slabs. — Pieces of wood fitted between the whelps. 

Sleepers. — The knees that connect the transoms 
to the after timbers of the ship 's quarters. 

Sliding Planks. — The planks upon which the bilge 
ways slide in launching. 

75 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Slip. — The foundation laid for the purpose of 
building the ship upon, and launching her. 

Snap. — To hance or bevel the end of anything so 
as to fay upon an inclined plane. 

Snying. — A term applied to plank when their 
edges round or curve upward. The great sny oc- 
casioned in full bows or buttocks is only to be pre- 
vented by introducing steelers. 

SpaUing*. — A spale or spall is a temporary brace, 
and spalling is to fasten or brace with spales. 

Spansion. — The spaces forward and abaft the 
paddle boxes on steamboats. The spansion beam is 
that beam which projects from the steamboat's sides 
and forms the shape of the paddle boxes. Spansion 
rim, is the wale in the steamboat's side upon which 
the paddle beam rests and is supported. This applies 
of course only to a certain type of vessel. 

Specific Gravity. — The comparative difference in 
the weight or gravity of two bodies of equal bulk, 
hence also called relative or comparative gravity, 
because we judge of it by comparing one body with 
another. Table of Specific Gravities : 

Lead 11.325 

Fine copper 9.000 

Gun metal 8.784 

Fine brass 8.350 

76 



Wooden Ships 



Iron from 7.827 to 7.645 

Cast iron 7.425 

Sand 1.520 

Lignum vitae 327 

Ebony 1.177 

Pitch 1.150 

Rosin 1.100 

Mahogany 1.063 

Boxwood 1.030 

Sea water 1.030 

Tar 1.015 

River water 1.009 

Rain water 1.000 

Oak 935 

Ash 800 

Beech 700 

Ehn 600 

Fir 548 

Cork 240 

Common air 4.232 

Spirketing. — A thick strake or strakes, wrouglit 
inside upon the ends of the beams or waterways. In 
ships that have ports the spirketing reaches from 
the waterways to the upper side of the lower sill, 
which is generally of two strakes wrought anchor- 
stock fashion; in this case the planks should always 
be such as will work as broad as possible. They 
should be about six inches broad to admit the bolts. 

Spurs. — Pieces of timber fixed on the bilge ways, 
their upper ends being bolted to the vessel's sides 
above the water. Also curved pieces of timber serv- 
ing as half beams to support the decks where the 
whole beams cannot be placed. 

77 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Spur Shoes. — Large pieces of timber that come 
abaft the pump-well. 

Square Body. — •. The figure which comprehends all 
the timbers whose areas or planes are perpendicular 
to the keel; which is all that portion of a ship be- 
tween the cant bodies. 

Square Timber. — The timbers which stand square 
with or perpendicular to the keel. 

Square Tuck.— A name given to the after part of 
a ship's bottom when terminated in the same direc- 
tion, up and down, as the wing transom, and the 
plank of the bottom end in a rabbet at the foreside 
of the fashion piece ; whereas ships with a buttock 
are round or circular, and the planks of the bottom 
end upon the wing transom. 

Stability. — That quality which enables a ship to 
keep herself steady in the water, without rolling or 
pitching. Stability, in the construction of a ship, 
is only to be secured by fixing the center of gravity 
at a certain distance below the meta-center, because 
the stability of the vessel increases with the altitude 
of the meta-center above the center of gravity. But 
when the meta-center coincides with the center of 
gravity, the vessel has no tendency whatever to re- 
move out of the position into which it may be 
put. Thus, if the vessel be inclined either to the 

78 



Wooden Ships 



starboard or larboard side, it will remain in that 
position till a new force is exerted upon it; in this 
case, therefore, the vessel would not be able to carry 
sail, and consequently would be unfit for the pur- 
pose of navigation. If the meta-center falls below 
the common center of gravity, the vessel will imme- 
diately overset. 

Stanchions. — Upright parts of wood or iron placed 
so as to support the beams of a vessel ; also upright 
pieces of timber placed at intervals along the sides 
of the vessel to support the bulwarks and rail, and 
reaching down to the bends, by the side of the tim- 
bers, to which they are bolted. Also any thick up- 
right support. 

Standard. — An inverted knee placed above the 
deck instead of beneath it, as a bitt standard, etc. 

Steeler or Stealer. — A name given to the fore- 
most or aftermost plank in a strake, which drops 
short of the stem and sternpost, and of which the 
end or butt nearest the rabbet is worked very narrow 
and well forward or aft. Their use is to take out 
the snying occasioned by a full bow or sudden cir- 
cular buttock. 

Stem. — The main timber at the fore part of the 
ship, formed by the combination of several pieces 
into a circular shape, and erected vertically to re- 

79 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



ceive the ends of the bow planks, which are united 
to it by means of a rabbet. Its lower end scarphs 
or boxes into the keel, through which the rabbet is 
also carried, and the bottom united in the same man- 
ner. 

Stemson. — -A piece of compass timber, wrought 
on the aft part of the apron inside, the lower end of 
which scarphs into the keelson. Its upper end is 
continued as high as the middle or upper deck, and 
its use is to support the scarphs of the apron, as 
that does those of the stem. 

Steps of the Masts. — The steps into which the 
heels of the masts are fixed are large pieces of tim- 
ber. Those for the main and fore masts are fixed 
across the keelson, and that for the mizzenmast upon 
the lower deck beams. The holes or mortises into 
which the masts step should have sufficient wood 
on each side to accord in strength with the tenon 
left on the heel of the mast, and the hole should be 
cut rather less than the tenon to allow for shrinkage. 

Steps for the Ship's Side. — The pieces of quarter- 
ing, with molding nailed to the sides amidships about 
nine inches apart, from the wale upward, for the 
convenience of persons getting on board. 

Stem Frame. — The strong frame of timbers, com- 
posed of the stempost, transoms, and fashion pieces, 
which form the basis of the whole stern. 

80 



Wooden Ships 



Stempost. — The principal piece of timber in the 
stern frame on which the rudder is hung, and to 
which the transoms are bolted. It therefore ter- 
minates the ship below the wing transom, and its 
lower end is tenoned into the keel. 

Steving. — The elevation of the ship's cathead or 
bowsprit ; or the angle which either makes with the 
horizon, generally called steve. 

Stopping Up. — The poppets, timbers, etc., used to 
fill up the vacancy between the upper side of the 
bilge ways and the ship's bottom, for supporting 
her when launchiug. 

Stopwater. — A treenail through the stern and keel 
at their joining, also through the joining of the stern- 
post and keel. 

Straight of Breadth. — The space before and abaft 
the dead-flat, in which the ship is the same uniform 
breadth, or of the same breadth as at X or dead-flat. 

Strake. — One breadth of plank wrought from one 
end of the ship to the other, either within or without 
board. 

Stringers.— A strake of plank around the inside 
of a vessel close to the under side of the beams. 

Supporters. — The knee timbers under the cat- 
heads. 

81 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Syphering. — Lapping the edges of planks over 
each other for a bulkhead. 



Tabling. — Letting one piece of timber into an- 
other by alternate scores of projections from the 
middle, so that it cannot be drawn asunder either 
lengthways or sideways. 

Taffarel or Taffrail. — The upper part of the ship's 
stern, usually ornamented with carved work or mold- 
ing, the ends of which unite to quarter pieces. 

Tasting of Plank or Timber.— Chipping it with 
an adz or boring it with a small augur for the pur- 
pose of ascertaining its quality or defects. 

Teach. — A term applied to the direction that any 
line, etc., seems to point out. Thus we say, ** Let 
the line or mold teach fair to such a spot, raise,'' 
etc. 

Tenon. — The square part at the end of one piece 
of timber cut down so as to fix in a hole, called the 
mortise, which has been made in another piece for 
joining or fastening the two pieces together. 

Thick Stuff. — A name for sided timber exceeding 
four inches, but which is not more than twelve inches 
in thickness. 

82 



Wooden Ships 



Throat. — The inside of knee timbers at the middle 
or turn of the arms; also the midship part of the 
floor timbers. 

Timber. — The term used for all pieces of wood of 
any importance employed in the construction of a 
ship, but in particular for those forming the frame. 

Toe Link. — The bottom link of a chain where it 
is fastened. 

Top and Butt. — An economical method of work- 
ing or laying long tapering oak ship-plank so as to 
make good conversion. As the plank runs very nar- 
row at the top, this is done by disposing the top 
end of every plank within six feet of the butt end 
of the plank above or below it, letting every plank 
work as broad as it will hold clear of sap. By this 
method only can every other seam produce a fair 
edge. 

Topgallant and Forecastle. — The small deck built 
level with the rail at the forward part of the ship. 

Topside. — A name given to all that part of a ship 's 
side above the main wales. 

Top Timbers. — The timbers which form the top- 
side. The first general tier of timbers which reach 
the top are called the long top timbers, and those 
below are called the short top timbers. 

83 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



Top-Timber Line. — The curve limiting the height 
of the sheer at the given breadth of the top timbers. 

Touch. — The broadest part of a plank worked top 
and butt, which place is six feet from the butt end ; 
or the middle of a plank worked anchor-stock fash- 
ion. Also the sudden angles of the stern timbers 
at the counter, etc. 

Trail Boards. — -A term for the carved work, be- 
tween cheeks, at the heel of the figure. 

Transoms. — The thwartship timbers which are 
bolted to the sternpost in order to form the buttocks ; 
and of which the curves, forming the round aft, are 
represented on the horizontal or half-breadth plan 
of the ship. 

Transverse Line. — A right or curved line which 
cuts a system of other right or curved lines. 

Tread of the Keel. — The whole length of the keel 
in a straight line. 

Treenails. — Cylindrical oak pins, which are driven 
through the planks and timbers of a vessel to fasten 
or connect them together. These certainly make the 
best fastening when driven quite through and calked 
or wedged inside. They should be made of the very 
best oak, cut near the butt, and perfectly dry or 
well seasoned. 

84 



Wooden Ships 



Tuck. — The aft part of the ship, where the ends 
of the plankcj of the bottom are terminated by the 
tuck-rail, and all that part of a ship below the wing 
transom when it partakes of the figure of the wing 
transom as far as the fashion pieces. 

Tuck-Rail. — The rail which is wrought well with 
the upper side of the wing transom and forms a 
rabbet making provision for calking the butt ends 
of the planks of the bottom. 

Turn of Bilge. — The curved part joining the ship's 
side with the flat of the bottom. 

Turn of Floors. — Sometimes ships are built with- 
out double bottoms, then the inner edges of the floors 
are curved up the bilges. 

Turtle Back. — The iron covering which decks over 
the extreme after part of the upper deck of many- 
steamers. The turtle back commences at the bulwark 
rail, and it is from its falling home, or rounding at 
that point, that it derives its name. 



W 



Wales (Bends). — The totality of the thick out- 
side planking of a vessel, which is fitted about mid- 
way between the plank sheer and the light water 
line. The breadth of the wales is generally equal to 

85 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



one-fourth or one-third of the vessel's depth, and 
the thickness from three to nine inches, according 
to the size of the vessel. 

Wall-Sided. — A term applied to the topsides of 
the ship, when the main breadth is continued very 
low down and very high up, so that the topsides ap- 
pear straight and upright like a wall. 

Washboard. — A shifting strake along the top- 
side of a small vessel, used occasionally to keep out 
the sea. 

Water Lines or Lines of Flotation. — Those hori- 
zontal lines supposed to be described by the surface 
of the water on the bottom of the ship, and which 
are indicated at certain depths upon the sheer 
draught. Of these the most particular are those 
denominated the light water line and the load water 
line ; the former, namely the light water line, is that 
line which shows the depression of the ship's body 
in the water when light or unladen, as when first 
launched; and the latter, the line which shows the 
same when laden with her guns and ballast or cargo. 
In the half -breadth plan these lines are curves, limit- 
ing the half-breadth of the ship at the heighth of 
the corresponding lines in the sheer plan. 

Waterways. — The edge of the deck next the tim- 
bers, which is wrought thicker than the rest of the 

86 



Wooden Ships 



deck, and hollowed out below the level of the deck 
so as to form a gutter or channel to conduct the 
water to the scuppers. 

Whale Back. — Peculiarly constructed vessels, hav- 
ing the main decks covered in and rounded over, 
sometimes with upper works; were built originally 
on the great lakes, and designed for superior stow- 
age capacity. Several of these vessels have made 
extended ocean voyages. 

Whelps. — Pieces of iron which are bolted to 
wooden windlass barrels so as to prevent the chain 
cable from cutting the wood. 

Whole Molded. — A term applied to the bodies of 
those ships which are so constructed that one mold 
made in the midship bend, with the addition of a 
floor hollow^ will mold all the timbers, below the 
main breadth, in the square body. 

Wings. — The places next the side upon the orlop, 
usually partitioned off in ships of war, that the 
carpenter and his crew may have access around the 
ship in time of action to plug up shot-holes, etc. 

Wing Transom. — The uppermost transom in the 
stern frame, upon which the heels of the counter 
timbers are let in and rest. It is by some called the 
main transom. 

87 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Wood-Lock. — A short piece of wood placed and 
fastened to a pintle-score (generally the upper one) 
of a rudder, to prevent the rudder being accidently 
unshipped; or a piece of elm or oak, closely fitted 
or sheathed with copper, in the throating or score of 
the pintle, near the load water line; so that when 
the rudder is hung and the wood-lock nailed in its 
place it cannot rise, because the latter butts against 
the under side of the brace and butt of the score. 

Wrain Bolts. — Ring bolts, used when planking, 
with two or more forelock holes in the end for tak- 
ing in the sett, as the plank, etc., works near the 
timbers. 

Wrain Stave or Staff. — A kind of stout billet of 
tough wood, tapered at the ends so as to go into the 
ring of the wrain bolt to make the setts, necessary in 
setting or tightening up the planks or thick stuff to 
the timbers. 



I 



88 



Part II 
Masts and Rigging 



After Sails. — The sails on the masts that are abaft 
the foremast. 

After Yards. — The yards on the masts which are 
abaft the foremast. 

Anchor. — The implement that holds a floating 
vessel to the bottom by means of a connecting cable. 
It usually consists of a main shaft or shank, which 
has at one end diverging arms which terminate in 
flukes, and a stock of wood or iron at the other end 
at right angles to the shank and also to the plane of 
the arms. The shank projects above the stock and 
forms the head, in which is a ring or shackle. That 
part of the shank at the junction of the arms is called 
the crown. 



an 



Arms. — One of the projecting members of 
anchor, ending in a fluke. An end of a yard. 



Baby Jib Topsail. — Yachts generally carry three 
sizes of jib topsails, viz., baby, working, and balloon. 

91 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



The baby jib topsail is as its name implies the small- 
est sail. 

Backbone. — A rope that is stitched to the back 
of an awning and runs fore-and-aft. To this rope the 
crowfoot is spliced, by which the awning is triced up. 

Back Ropes.— Ropes that lead from the dolphin 
striker on the lower end of the martingale to steady 
it and which set up on the bows. 

Backstay Stools. — Small separate channels abaft 
the main channels used for setting up the standing 
backstays. 

Backstays. — Ropes which are attached to all mast- 
heads above the lower mastheads, and lead down 
to the vessel's sides for the purpose of steadying the 
masts. 

Bagpipe. — The mizzen is said to be bagpiped when 
its sheet is brought to the weather mizzen rigging. 

Bag Reef. — A name sometimes applied to the 
lower reef in the fore-and-aft sails and the upper 
reef in square topsails. 

Bale Band. — A big shackle-shaped iron at the 
masthead, supported by the capband, and to which 
the standing part of the flying jib stay is bent. 

92 



Masts and Rigging 



Bale Sling. — A simple strap or rope, the ends of 
whicli have been spliced so as to form a continuous 
piece. It is doubled and passed around a bale or 
bag, the two ends meeting on top, where one end is 
slipped through or under the other. The hook of 
the hoisting block is hooked into the loop, and the 
strap tightens around the bale or bag when it is 
hoisted. 

Balance Reef -Band. — A reef -band on a gaff-sail, 
which runs across it diagonally. It is used in bad 
weather and makes the sail triangular. 

Balloon Foresail. — A sail made of light canvas, 
and carried in place of the regular fore staysail. 

Banding". — The band of canvas which is sewed 
over the tabling on the head, luff, and foot, and on 
the leach from the clew up above the reef cringles. 

Barrel. — The horizontal, revolving part of a wind- 
lass; the main piece of a capstan; or the horizontal 
piece around which the tiller ropes go, and which is 
turned by the steering wheel. 

Barrel Sling, — A simple sling made for hoisting 
a headless barrel. This is much used on board ships 
to send hold-sweepings up on deck in a barrel, etc. 

Bend. — -To fasten, to secure one rope to another 
rope, spar, etc. Bending sail is to secure a sail to 
a yard, or to a boom and gaff. 

93 



Wooden Shipbuildmg 



Bentick Shrouds. — Bopes seized to the weather 
futtock staves and set up or made taut to the lee 
channels for the purpose of steadying the mast, when 
the vessel is rolling heavily. 

Bibbs. — • Pieces of timber that are bolted to the 
hounds of the mast for the trestletrees to rest upon. 

Binnacle. — A stand of wood or brass in which the 
compass rests. 

Binnacle Hood. — The glass front cover to the 
binnacle stand and into which the binnacle lamps are 
fitted. 

Binnacle Lamp. — The small lamp that fits into the 
binnacle hood and lights up the compass. 

Bitt Heads. — The upper ends of bitts. 

Bitt the Cable. — To confine the cable to the bitts 
by one turn under the cross piece and another turn 
around the bitt head. When in this position the 
cable may be either let run out or kept fast. 

Bitter End. — The extreme end of a rope or cable ; 
when the end of the rope by which the vessel is rid- 
ing is secured to the bitts, the cable is said to be 
paid out to the bitter end. 

Bitter. — To bitter a rope or cable is to take a 
turn with it around the bitts. 

94 



Masts and Rigging 



Bobstays. — The chains or ropes which lead from 
the lower outboard end of the bowsprit to the stem 
where they are secured, and by which the bowsprit 
is held down and kept from jumping. 

Bolsters. — Pieces of soft wood, sometimes covered 
with canvas, which are placed under the trestletrees, 
and on which the eyes of the rigging rest, so as to 
prevent chafing. 

Bolt. — A roll of canvas is called a bolt, and con- 
tains thirty-nine yards, whatever may be the width. 

Bolt Rope. — The rope that goes around the edge 
of the sail and to which the latter is sewed. 

Bonnet. — A piece of canvas which, as a supple- 
mentary sail, is laced to the foot of the head sail, 
and which is taken off in heavy weather. 

Booby Hatch. — A wooden hood which covers a 
small after hatchway, which is used to obtain access 
to the interior of the vessel without removing the 
main hatches. 

Boom. — A spar used to extend the foot of a fore- 
and-aft sail or a studding sail, pronounced stun 'sail. 

Boom Brace. — A rope that leads from the end of 
the studding-sail boom through a tail block in the 
main rigging. 

95 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Boom Foresail.— A fore-and-aft foresail having its 
foot spread by a boom. 

Boom Horse. — • An iron half-circle which is secured 
to the iron band of a boom for the sheet traveler (the 
iron ring on the end of the boom sheet block) to 
traverse on. 

Boom Irons. — Iron rings or collars at the extrem- 
ity of the yardarms and through which the studding- 
sail booms travel. 

Boom Jiggers. — A light tackle used for rigging 
out and in the studding-sail boom. 

Boom Mainsail. — A fore-and-aft mainsail, which 
has its foot spread by a boom. 

Boom Topping Lifts. — Whips which lead from the 
after end of a boom through a block to the lower 
masthead, thence down on deck, and are employed 
for topping up the boom and taking the strain off 
the sail when the latter is set, and the strain off the 
peak halyards when the gaff is lowered and the sail 
tied up. 

Boom Tackle. — A double purchase used to guy 
out booms, when the vessel is running, so that they 
will not come abroad. Also known as boom guys 
and lazy guys. 

96 



Masts and Rigging 



Bowed. — A mast or yard is said to be bowed when 
it is set up so taut as to spring it. 

Bow Lighthouses. — The towers placed on each 
bow of the vessel, and inside of which is contained 
the lamp for illuminating the colored-glass window. 
These towers are a great improvement over the side- 
light lanterns. They are also known as side-light 
castles and side-light towers. 

Bowline. — A noose made in a rope with a certain 
kind of knot. A rope attached to the bridle on the 
leach of a square sail for the purpose of hauling 
the leach forward so as to sail as close as possible 
to the wind. When sailing this way a vessel is said 
to be on a bowline. To steady out a bowline is to 
hold it taut. 

Bow Line or Bow Fast. — A rope leading over a 
vessel's bows to another vessel or wharf, and by 
which the forward part of the vessel is made fast. 

Bowline Bridle. — A span of rope connecting a 
bowline with the two cringles on the leaches of a 
square sail. 

Bowline on a Bight. — A double bowline. 

Bowline Lizard. — A short rope pendant with a 
thimble spliced in one or both ends. It is a part of 
the bowline bridle. 

97 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Bowline Knot. — A loop knot made in the end of 
a rope. 

Bowline Cringle. — Eyes worked in the boltrope 
on the leaches of square sails, and in which the bow- 
line bridle is made fast. 

Bowsprit Cap. — The iron band fitted to the out- 
board end of the bowsprit, with a ring on top for the 
jib boom to run through. 

Bowsprit Bitts. — Perpendicular timbers which ex- 
tend above the deck, and between which the heel 
of the bowsprit is secured. 

Bowsprit Shrouds.— The ropes that lead from the 
side of the bowsprit cap back to the bows of the 
vessel, where they are set up or fastened, and which 
stay the bowsprit sideways. 

Brace. — Rudder gudgeons are sometimes called 
braces. They are ropes leading from the yardarms 
to the deck, and by hauling on which a yard is turned 
around at various angles to the keel and held in 
place. 

Brake. — The lever used for working a deck pump. 

Brails. — Ropes used to gather up fore-and-aft sails 
into the mast. Spankers are provided with brails. 
There are foot, throat, and peak brails. 

98 



Masts and Rigging 



Breast Fast or Breast Line. — A rope used to se- 
cure a vessel's side to a wharf, etc. 

Breech. — The outer angle of a knee timber; the 
bottom of a block, where the standing part of the 
tackle is made fast to the block. 

Bridge. — A platform that extends across the deck 
on steam vessels, which is raised considerably above 
the rail of the ship. It is for the convenience of the 
officer of the watch, from which altitude he super- 
intends and manages the vessel. The steering bridge 
is the bridge on which is placed the steering wheel. 
Some steamships are provided with two bridges, one 
above the other, and when this is the case the lower 
one is made the steering bridge. 

Bridle. — A span of chain or rope with the ends 
secured, thus forming the bridle. The hauling power 
is applied to the bight of the bridle. 

Bumpkins or Boomkins. — Short horizontal spars 
projecting from the vessel's sides, to board or haul 
down the fore tack to and from each quarter, that 
the main brace blocks may be secured to them. 

Bull's-Eye. — An egg-shaped piece of wood, having 
a hole in it for a rope to reeve through. A bull's-eye 
has no sheaves but is stropped the same as a block. 

99 



Wooden Shipbuildmg 



Bulwark Netting. — A framework of ratline stuff 
seized in diamond shape and used instead of bul- 
warks. 

Bunt. — The middle of a square sail that lies on top 
of the yard, when the sail is furled. 

Buntlines.— Ropes toggled to the foot of square 
sails and used for lifting the foot of the sail to the 
yard. The buntlines lead through blocks above the 
yards, thence down to the deck. 

Bunt Lizard. — A piece of rope having two legs 
with a thimble spliced into the end of each, and made 
fast to the topsail-tie. The buntlines reeve through 
the thimbles which act as fair leaders. 

Bunt Jigger. — A purchase used to lift the bunt 
of heavy square sails to the yard in furling. 

Bunt Whip. — A whip employed to lift the bunt 
of light square sails to the yard in furling. 

Burton. — A tackle used for various purposes. A 
single Spanish burton is made of three single blocks. 
A double Spanish burton of three double blocks. 



100 



Masts and Rigging 



C 

Cable. — A rope or chain attached to the anchor. 

Cable Tier. — The place on a ship where the cable 
is stowed. 

Cabin. — The part of the vessel in which the officers 
have their quarters. 

Caboose or Galley. — A house on the deck where 
the cooking is done. 

Canvas. — The material of which sails, awnings, 
etc., are made. 

Cap. — A leather, canvas, or metal, shaped like a 
thimble, which is placed over the ends of the stand- 
ing rigging, such as the brass acorns on the ends 
of the lanyards of the lower rigging. A block of 
wood that has in it both a square and a round hole 
and is used to confine two masts to each other. The 
square hole is fitted over the lower or topmast head 
and strongly secured, and the round hole permits 
the topmast or topgallant mast to run through it. 
The bowsprit cap is at the outboard end of the spar 
and secures the jib boom to the bowsprit. 

Carrick Bend. — Used for bending two hawsers to- 
gether. 

101 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Caxrick Bitts.^ — The windlass bitts. 

Cat Block. — The double or threefold block which 
forms part of the tackle used in hoisting the anchor 
to the cathead. 

Cat Crane. — An iron overhanging beam stepped 
like a boat davit, and used in place of a cathead for 
catting the head. 

Cat Harpin. — Short lengths of rope, which are 
used for bending in the rigging abreast of the top- 
sail yards, in order that those yards may be braced 
up as sharp as possible. 

Cathead. — Horizontal timbers projecting from a 
vessel 's bows, and to which the anchor is raised and 
secured after it has been hove up. 

Cat Hook. — A large hook fitted to the strop of 
the cat block which is hooked into the anchor ring, 
when catting or hoisting the anchor, to lift the latter 
to the cathead. 

Cavil. — A length of timber like a long cleat, which 
is bolted onto the bulwark stanchions in a fore-and- 
aft direction»and to which ropes are belayed. 

Cavil Heads. — Timber heads when they are used 
as cavils. 

102 



Masts and Rigging 



Chafing Gear. — Rope, canvas, etc., placed upon the 
rigging, spars, etc., to save them from bein^ chafed. 

Chains. — Strong narrow plates of iron bolted to 
the ship's timbers through the sides. To the upper 
ends of these plates, dead-eyes are secured by an 
iron strap. The ship's channels are also called 
chains, such as fore chains, main chains, and mizzen 
chains. 

Cheek Blocks. — Half of a shell containing the 
sheave bolted onto a spar, the latter acting as the 
missing cheek. 

Cheeks. — Those projections that are bolted to the 
sides of the masts and upon which trestletrees rest. 
Also the name applied to the two sides of a block. 

Chess Trees. — Pieces of oak bolted to the topsides 
of- the vessel, containing a sheave, and formerly 
used to haul home the main tack. Not used now. 

Camps. — An iron shape which works on a hinge 
and is used to confine a spar, such as a studding-sail 
boom. 

Clew. — The lower corners of a square sail and 
the after lower corner of a fore-and-aft sail. 

Clew Cringle. — A shackle spliced into the clew 
of the sail, which is the junction of the foot and 
leach. 

103 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Clew Garnet.— The rope by which the clews of 
a foresail and mainsail (courses) are hauled up to 
the yard. The clew garnet takes the place of a clew 
line on the courses. 

Clew Lines. — ^The ropes that lift the clews of 
square sails to the yards ; the clew line bunches the 
gaff -topsail on a fore-and-aft vessel. 

Club Topsail. — A topsail which is set flying from 
the deck, the luff of which is laced to a pole called 
a sprit, and the foot laced to a pole called a club. 

Collar. — The eyes in those ends of the standing 
ringing that go over the mastheads are sometimes 
called collars. Also, a strap or grommet, when used 
to seize a heart or dead-eye. 

Concluding Line. — A small rope which runs 
through the center of the steps of a stem ladder or 
Jacob's ladder. 

Cordage. — A term which is applied in a general 
way to all the standing and running rigging. 

Counter Brace. — To brace the head yards one way 
and the after yards another. 

Courses. — The sails upon the lower yards of a 
vessel, thus the foresail is the fore course, the main 
sail the main course, and the crossjack the mizzen 
course. 

104 



Masts cmd Rigging 



Cringle. — A short piece of rope spliced into and 
forming an eye on the bolt-rope of the luff, head, 
tack, clew, and leach of gaff-sails; into the head, 
foot, and leaches of square sails ; and into the head, 
tack, and clew of jib-headed sails. An iron ring, 
called a thimble, is contained within the eye to pre- 
vent chafing. 

Crossjack.r— The lower yard on the mizzenmast 
of a ship. It is pronounced as though spelled crog-ic. 
Some merchant ships carry a sail on the crossjack. 

Crosstrees. — Pieces of oak running thwartships 
which are supported by the cheeks and trestletrees, 
and by which the tops of the lower masts are sup- 
ported. They spread the top,gallant rigging at the 
topmast head. 

I' 

Crowfoot. — A number of small lines suspending 

an awning, which are either spliced into or hooked 

to little thimbles on the awning backbone; these 

lines reeve through an euphroe, to which is bent or 

hooked the awning halyards, by which the canopy 

or awning is triced up. 

Crow*s-Nest. — A look-out perch at the masthead 
of whalers. It is generally made something like a 
barrel, minus the head, and so rigged as not to inter- 
fere with the sails. A telescope is provided for the 
use of the seamen who occupy it. 

105 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



Crutch. — The stanchion which is forked at the 
upper end for a spar to rest in ; the after boom rests 
in a portable crutch when the vessel is at anchor 
with no sails set. 

Cuckhold Neck. — The knot by which a rope is se- 
cured to a spar; the two parts of the former cross 
each other and are seized together. 

Cut Splice. — A splice made with two ropes, one 
of which is a short length. The latter has both its 
ends spliced into the bight of the other, thus form- 
ing a kind of eye splice. 



I 



Dasher Block. — A small block at the end of the 
after gaff, used for reeving the ensign halyards. 

Davit Guy. — A light rope secured to the outer eye 
on the side of each davit, and set taut on the rail by 
a lanyard so as to keep the davits at right angles 
to the keel. The davit check or spreader, which 
crosses horizontally from davit to davit, prevents 
them from turning too far when the guys are set up. 
Sometimes a light spar, called a strong back, is used 
to spread the davits instead of a chain. 

Davits. — Those lengths of timber or iron on a ship 
from which boats are suspended. 

106 



Masts and Rigging 



I 



Dead-Eye. — A solid circular block, without 
sheaves, but containing three holes through the flat, 
and a score or grove cut around it for a strap. It 
was formerly used on the ends of chain plates, 
shrouds, and stays set up with lanyards. Turn- 
buckles are nearly always used now instead of dead- 
eyes. 

Dead Lights. — Round thick glass windows in the 
sides of the vessel. 

Dead Rope. — A rope that does not reeve through 
any block or pass over any sheave. 

Deck Bull's-Eye. — Thick shapes of glass fitted 
into holes in the deck to let light into the vessel. 
Deck lights are almost the same things. 

Deck Pipe. — A hole in the deck through which 
the cable leads. 

Deck Tackle. — A heavy double purchase which 
is used for heavy work on the deck. 

Derrick. — A spar supported by guys with a block 
at its upper end, which forms part of a tackle for 
handling cargo. 

Devil ^s Claw. — A strong bifurcated iron hook 
used as a stopper for the cable. 

107 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Dipping Lug Sail.— One that has to be shifted to 
leeward of the mast each time the vessel is tacked. 

Dog's Ear. — The small bight which is made in 
the leach rope of a sail, when it is reefed or made up. 

Dolphin Striker. — The lower spear-shaped end of 
a martingale. 

Double Block. — ■ One that contains two sheaves. 

Downhaul. — A rope used in hauling down jibs, 
staysaUs, and studdiag sails. 

Drabbler. — A piece of canvas laced to the bonnet 
of a sail in the same manner that the bonnet is laced 
to the sail itself. It is employed to obtain more 
drop or depth of sail. 

Drawing String. — The rope that runs along the 
leach of foresails, mainsails, and jibs. It is spliced 
into the head cringle, and leads down through the 
space in the tabliQg between the boltrope and the 
sewing of the seam. It then leads out through an 
eyelet hole in the clew. It is used to strengthen the 
leach and prevent that part of the sail from slapping 
when the leach is too slackly roped, or when the 
body of the sail is shrunken with dampness. 

Drift. — The length of rope which is over and 
above the portion used. 

108 



Masts and Rigging 



Driver. — A term sometimes applied to the spanker. 
The name is derived from the large square sail which 
formerly was set on a yard on the end of the spanker 
boom. 

Drop. — The depth of a square sail amidships from 
head to foot. This term applies to courses which 
do not hoist but drop. 



Earing. — A rope which fastens a reef -band or the 
corners of a sail or awning to a yard, gaff, or stan- 
chion. They are named from their uses, reef-earing, 
nock-earing, head-earing, tack-earing, etc. The 
cringle of a sail is thus secured in bending and reef- 
ing. 

Elliott Eye. — An eye in the end of a hawser, that 
contains a thimble. 

Ensign Halyards. — The halyards by which the 
ensign is hoisted, whether the latter is shown at the 
stern or at the peak. 

Euphroe. — A length of wood having a number of 
parallel holes bored in it, and used to spread the 
legs of the awning crowfoot. 

109 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Eyelet Holes. — Small holes worked in a sail, and 
through which the reef points are run for half their 
length, then sewed to the eyelet hole ; also the holes 
for the robands to go through in bending the sail. 

Eyes. — The loop in a shroud or stay that goes 
over the masthead; the hole in the top part of the 
anchor shank that the ring goes through. The eyes 
of a ship are the hawse holes. Up in the eyes, refers 
to the extreme forward part of a vessel, either above 
or below decks. 



Pair Leader. — A short length of wood with holes 
bored in it, or a block or thimble so placed as to 
give running rigging a fair lead, or to change its 
direction a little, such, for instance, as to make it 
parallel to the shrouds by gathering it into them 
through the fair leader. 

Fall. — The rope of a tackle, to which power is 
applied. 

Fancy Line. — A line for drawing over the lee top- 
ping lift of the main or spanker boom ; a line rove 
through a block seized on the jaws of a gaff, and 
used as a downhaul or to haul down the spar. 

Fast Secure. — The rope used to secure a vessel 
to a wharf, etc. 

110 



Masts and Rigging 



i 



Fid. — A block of wood or iron, used to support a 
topmast or a topgallant mast by placing it through 
the fid hole in the heel of the mast and allowing it 
to rest on the trestletrees. Also a conical pointed 
piece of hard wood used as a marline spike for splic- 
ing large ropes, opening the eyes of rigging, etc. 

Fiddle Black. — An elongated shell contaiaiQg two 
sheaves, of which the larger one is above the other. 

Fife Rail. — The rail that surrounds the mast for 
holdiag belaying pins, etc. 

Filler. — A piece of wood inserted in a made mast 
to make good a deficiency. Also a composition used 
on spars before painting or varnishing. 

Fish Front. — The name of a strengthening slab on 
the front of a made mast. 

Fish Tackle. — The ropes, blocks, hook, etc., used 
in fishing or raising an anchor. 

Fisherman's Bend. — Sometimes used for bending 
on the gaff-topsail halyards, or the topmast studding- 
sail halyards. 

Fleet. — To separate the blocks of a tackle. 

Flemish Horse. — The small extra f ootropes at the 
ends of the topsail yards. 

Ill 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



Plying Jib.— One of the head sails, that sets out- 
side the jib on the jib boom. 

Plying Jib Boom.— The light spar that rests on 
th© jib boom, and is rigged out ahead of the latter. 

Plying Jib Stay. — A stay forward the foremast, 
on which the flying jib is set. 

Pl3dng Kites." — Skysails are sometimes so called. 

Foot. — • The lower edge of a sail, or that part of a 
mast near the deck. 

Pootropes. — Lengths of rope made fast to and 
hanging under a yard or along the bowsprit, or the 
spanker boom, and jib boom, for men to stand on 
while bending, unbending, reefing, and furling sail. 
These ropes were formerly known as horses. The 
bights are supported by stirrups hanging from the 
spars. 

Pore-and-Aft Sails. — The sails which set upon 
gaffs, booms, and stays. 

Pore Rigging. — The shrouds and their ratlines of 
the fore lower mast. 

Poresail. — The sail that on a square rigger is bent 
to the fore yard; but on a *' fore-and-after '' it is 
the sail which is spread by the fore gaff and boom. 

112 



Masts and Rigging 



Fore Shrauds.— r The shrouds of the fore lower 
mast. 

Fore Stay. — The hemp or wire rope leading from 
the head of the foremast to the stem, where it sets 
up. The foremast is stayed forward by it, and on 
this stay the fore staysail is set. 

Pore Staysail. — The first head sail forward of the 
foremast, setting on the fore stay. 

Fore Topmast Staysail. — A head sail that sets 
upon the fore topmast stay. 

Pore Yard. — The lowest yard across the foremast 
on a brig, ship, etc. 

Foremast. — The forward mast on all vessels. As 
sloops and cutters have but one mast, it is always 
called the mainmast. 

Foul. — A rope fouls when it jams in a block; a 
term used to express the opposite of clear. 

Four-Fold Block.^A block that contains four 
sheaves. 

Four-Fold Purchase. — A purchase which has two 
blocks of four sheaves each. 

Furl. — To roll up and secure a sail or awning. 
113 



Wooden SJiiphuilding 



Furling Line.— A small line, used to bind a fore- 
and-aft sail to a gaff or boom after it is furled. Short 
independent lengths of rope used for this purpose 
are called stops, and when used for square sails they 
are called gaskets. 

Furniture. — The rigging, spars, anchors, sails, 
boats, cables, etc., of a vessel. 

Futtock Band. — The iron band which ^oes around 
the lower mast just under the top, and to which the 
futtock shrouds are fastened. 

Futtock Chain Plates. — Iron plates, which are se- 
cured to the side rims of the tops, with a dead-eye 
in the upper part for the topmast rigging to set up 
to, exactly the same as the chain plates of the lower 
rigging, and a hole in the lower end, into which the 
futtock shroud is hooked. 

Futtock Holes. — Holes in the rim of the top on 

each side for the futtock chain plates. 

Futtock Shrouds. — Short shrouds, which extend 
from the lower ends of the futtock chain plates to 
the futtock band. 

Futtock Staff. — A length of wood or iron covered 
with canvas or leather, seized across the topmast 
rigging like a sheer pole. 

114 



Masts and Rigging 



Gaff. — A spar which projects abaft a mast, and to 
which the head of a fore-and-aft sail is bent. That 
part of the gaff which is near the mast is called the 
throat, and the outer end of the spar is named the 
peak. It is hoisted by throat and peak halyards. 
The jaws are the two horns bolted one on each side 
of the inner end of the spar to keep it to the mast. 
The rollers are the little wooden wheels on the for- 
ward side of the mast, which are strung on a jaw 
span or jaw rope made fast through holes bored in 
the forward extreme ends of the jaws. This span 
prevents the gaff from unshipping with a fore-and- 
aft motion, and the rollers do not permit the span 
to jam against the mast when the gaff is being 
hoisted or lowered. 

^ Craff Topsail. — A fore-and-aft sail set over a gaff, 
the foot of the former being spread by the spar. 

Gang. — A set of standing rigging is known as a 
gang of rigging. 

Gantline. — A line that reeves through a temporary 
single block hooked aloft. Also called a girtline. 

Garnet. — A purchase rigged on the mainstay and 
used in handling cargo. 

U5 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Gaskets. — Ropes employed to secure the square 
sails to a yard, or the head sails to the bowsprit and 
jib booms after the sails are furled. Sometimes the 
bowsprit is provided with stops made fast to small 
iron screw eyes on the sides of the spar, and these 
take the place of gaskets; but gaskets are always 
used on jib booms and on yards. On the latter they 
are named according to their location, as bunt, 
quarter, and yard arm gaskets. Harbor gaskets are 
made of platted stuff or bands of canvas, for use 
when the vessel is in port. Sea gaskets are ropes. 

Gear. — The ropes, blocks, tackles, etc., of any par- 
ticular spar, sail, etc., spoken of collectively. 

Gimbals. — A pair of rings, one of which swings 
within the other, their respective axes being at right 
an^gles to each other. One of the rings provides for 
the roll of the ship, and the other for the pitch. The 
compass is suspended within them so it will be hori- 
zontal. 

Glut. — A piece of canvas having an eyelet hole 
worked in it and sewed into the middle of a square 
sail near the head. A becket is made through this 
hole and a bunt jigger is hooked into it. 

Goose Neck. — -A kind of hook made of iron and 
fastened to the inner end of a boom having no jaws, 
also to the inner or lower end of a spinnaker boom. 

116 



Masts cmd Eiggmg 



The goose neck confines the end of the boom by being 
secured to an iron clamp or eye on the mast. Inde- 
pendent steps for spinnaker boom goose necks are 
found on yachts, the steps fastening to the deck. 

Goose-Winged. — "When the clew of a course or 
topsail is hauled up and lashed to its yard, the sail 
is said to be goose-winged. 

Goring Cloth. — Pieces of canvas cut on the bias 
and added to the sail. 

Gores. — Angles cut slopewise at one or both ends 
of cloth in sail-making, so as to widen or increase 
the depth of a sail. 

Ground Tackle. — A term applied collectively to 
all the anchors, cables, anchor purchases, etc. 

Gun-Tackle Purchase. — A purchase, which is made 
of a length of rope and two single blocks. 



Halyards or Halliards. — The ropes or tackle used 
for lowering and hoistin^g yards, gaffs, and sails. 
They are named from their use or position, as ensign 
halyards, etc. 

117 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Hanging Blocks. — Blocks which are used at the 
mastheads for the halyards of the head sails. 

Hanks. — The rings of wood, rope, or iron around 
a stay, and to which the luff of the head sails is se- 
cured by robands. 

Harness. — A name for the rigging of a vessel. 

I 

Hauling Line. — A line sent down from aloft to 
haul articles up. 

Head Boards. — The boards placed inside the ham- 
mock nettings at the forward and after ends. 

Head Cringle. — The iron ring or shape which is 
spliced into the boltrope at the junction of the leach 
and head of a fore-and-aft sail, and at the two upper 
comers of a square sail. 

Head Barings. — The ropes which secure the two 
upper corners of a square sail to the yardarms by 
alternate passings of the line through the head 
cringles and the spar. 

Head Room. — The height of any place, as for in- 
stance from the floor to the roof. 

Head Rope. — The rope to which the tabling on 
the upper edge of a sail is sewed. 

m 



Masts and Rigging 



Head Sails. — • All the sails forward of the foremast. 
These are named differently on vessels of various 
rigs. They are called, fore staysails, fore topmast 
staysails, jibs, flyiag jibs, jib-o-jibs, inner jibs, main 
jibs, outer jibs, jib topsails, middle jibs and standing 
jibs. 

Head Sheets. — The sheets of all the head sails. 

Head Stick. — The small round spar, about fifteen 
inches long, which is seen on the heads of some 
spinnakers and jibs. The triangle or apex at the 
head of the sail is cut off straight across, and the 
edge tabled and worked with eyelet holes, then laced 
to the spar in the center of which the halyards are 
bent. Its use is to prevent the heads of the above 
sails from twistiag, as they are very apt to do on 
account of their luff not being confined to a stay. 

Head Yards. — All the yards on the foremast. 

Heart. — A block of wood shaped like a heart and 
stropped, having a hole through it for stays to reeve 
through. Also the strand running through the 
center of a four-strand rope. 

Hitch. — A way of fastening rope around a spar 
or other object. 

Hoist.— The length of the luff of a fore-and-aft 
sail J the distance in feet from the jaws of the boom 

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Wooden Shipbuilding 



to the jaws of the gaff, when the sail is hoisted. It 
applies to the midship depth of those square sails the 
yards of which travel up and down the masts. 

Horns. — A name by which the jaws of the booms 
and the ends of crosstrees are known. 

Hounding. — The hounding of a mast is all that 
part of the mast between the heel and the lower part 
of the head. 

Hounds. — Projections bolted onto the masthead, 
which serve as shoulders for the trestletrees, which 
in turn support the top. 

House. — To house a mast is to lower it partly and 
secure its heel by lashing to the mast against which 
it is lowered. 

Housing. — The housing of a mast is all that part 
which is below the spar or upper deck ; the housing 
of a bowsprit is that part inboard from the stem. 



Inner Jib. — The head sail which is next forward 
of the fore staysail on some merchant sailing vessels. 

Irish Pennant. — The loose end of a rope which 
hangs out of a sail or from a yard in a slovenly 
manner. 

120 



Masts and Rigging 



Jack. — A horizontal bar of iron at the topgallant 
masthead, which is placed there in order to give 
spread to the royal shrouds. 

Jack Block. — A block that is kept hooked aloft, 
through which to reeve the topgallant and royal yard 
ropes when those spars are sent up or down. 

Jack Crosstrees. — Iron crosstrees such as are to 
be seen at the head of the topgallant mast. 

Jack Rope. — The foot of some fore-and-aft sails 
is secured to the boom by a line called a jack rope, 
running fore-and-aft through the eyes which are 
screwed in on top of the spar, and through the little 
thimbles which are sewed on the boltrope on the 
foot of the sail at every seam. 

Jackstays. — These are long strips of wood or iron 
bolted on the top of a yard to bend the head of a 
square sail to, and to the under part of a gaff for 
the head of a fore-and-aft sail. Formerly jackstays 
were lengths of rope stretched along a spar. 

Jacob's Ladder. — A ladder with rope sides and 
wooden rungs, used for getting into the lower rig- 
ging on vessels with very high bulwarks, and for 

121 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



getting up to the jack crosstrees. The ladder hangs 
abaft the mast. 

Jaw Rope. — The span of rope that is attached to 
the jaws of a gaff, and sometimes to a boom, on 
which little hard wooden wheels called rollers are 
strung like beads. 

Jaws. — Pieces on the inner end of a gaff, and also 
of some booms. They are bolted onto the sides of 
the spar. Also called horns. 

Jeer. — A tackle for swaying or striking a lower 
yard. The term is mostly used in the plural. 

Jeer Bitts. — Bitts to which jeers are belayed. 

Jeer Blocks.^^ These are double or treble blocks 
belonging to the jeer falls. 

Jeer Palls. — The ropes rove through the jeer 
blocks, which together form the jeers. 

Jewel Blocks. — Small blocks at the yardarms for 
the studding-sail halyards to reeve through. 

Jews-Harp. — The peculiar shackle which connects 
the cable with the anchor ring. 

Jib. — A triangular sail that sets on a stay forward 
of the foremast. 

122 



Masts and Rigging 



Jib Boom.— A spar which is supported on and 
rigged out beyond the bowsprit through the bowsprit 
cap. 

Jib Boom Guys. — Ropes which are used to steady 
the jib boom sideways. They lead from the end of 
the spar through the whiskers on the end of the 
bowsprit, and thence to the bows of the vessel, where 
they set up. Flying jib boom guys act in the same 
way for the flying jib boom. 

Jib-Headed. — The term applies to the cut of the 
sail, and means that the head of it is shaped like that 
of a jib. 

Jib Netting. — A safety netting under the jib boom, 
which is seized to the jib boom guys and the whiskers. 
The flying jib boom netting is rigged under the fly- 
ing jib boom, being seized to the flying jib guys. 
These are seldom used except on naval vessels. 

Jib-0-Jib. — A triangular sail, carried on some 
merchant schooners, which sets on the last stay for- 
ward of the foremast. 

Jib Stay. — A stay forward of the foremast, on 
which the jib is set. 

Jib Topsail. — A triangular sail, which sets on the 
extreme forward end of the flying jib boom. 

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Wooden Shipbuilding 



Jib Traveler.— The large iron ring to which the 
tack of a cutter's jib is made fast. The ring goes 
around the bowsprit and runs in and out on the spar 
by means of an outhaul and an inhaulj this jib is 
always set flying. 

Jig. — An extra purchase made fast to one end of 
the throat and peak halyards. The bight of the 
halyards is rove through the blocks, and the two 
ends are let down on deck, one on each side of the 
mast. One of these ends is the regular hauling part, 
and the other end has a purchase to it which is called 
the jig. 

Jigger. — A handy billy tackle that is used about 
decks. A sail that sets on a jigger-mast. 

Jigger Mast. — The aftermost mast on a four- 
masted vessel. Also the small mast carried on the 
stern of yawls. 

Jumper. — A rope which leads from the outboard 
ends of the whiskers to the martingale to prevent 
the former from steeving, or leaving a horizontal 
line by jumping upward. 

Jumper Stay. — Extra stays which lead from the 
lower mastheads to the sides of the vessel, where 
they are set up with tackles. 



124 



Masts and Rigging 



Lacing. — The rope that is used to lash the head of 
a fore-and-aft sail to a gaff, to secure a bonnet to a 
sail, etc. 

Lanyards. — A rope rove through the dead-eyes in 
setting up rigging; a rope made fast to anything 
for securing it, as the lanyards of the davit guys. 

Lark's Head. — A knot made by doubling the bight 
of a rope, passing it around a spar, or through a ring 
or hook about a foot ; then bending it down toward 
you and spreading it out, and slipping a toggle 
through the four parts, across the two outer and 
under the two inner. It is finished by taking a half 
hitch around the standing part, with the loose end 
hanging down so that it will not slip when a strain 
is put on it. 

Latchings. — The rope loops on the head of a bon- 
net, and with which it is laced to the foot of the 
sail. 

Lateen. — A rig similar to that of the lugger ex- 
cept that the sail is triangular. A long yard that 
hoists obliquely to a mast forms the luff. 

Lay. — The direction in which the strands of a 
rope are twisted. 

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Wooden Shipbuilding 



Lazy Guy. — A name sometimes applied to the 
boom guy or boom pendant. 

Lazy Jacks. — The lengths of rope rove through 
thimbles seized onto the boom topping lifts and made 
fast to the boom. When the sail is lowered they 
prevent the folds of canvas from falling on the 
deck. 

Leach or Leech. — The edge of a square sail at the 
sides and the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail. The 
luff of a sail is often called the forward leach, and 
the leach proper is termed the after leach. Among 
English seamen this is universal. , 

Leach Line. — A line that is made fast to the leach 
ropes of sails and passes up through blocks on the 
yards to haul the leaches up by. 

Leach Rope.— The roping on the after edges of 
fore-and-aft sails, and on the sides of square sails. 

Leading Part. — The part of the tackle that is 
hauled upon. 

Leef ange. — This is a deck horse. Also a rope made 
fast to the clew cringle of a jib in order to hold it, 
or haul it flat amidships, while the bonnet is being 
laced. 

Left-Hand Rope. — A rope that is twisted from 
left to right. 

126 



Masts and Rigging 



Life Lines. — Ropes stretched along the deck, to 
which the crew may hold and thus save themselves 
from being washed overboard during heavy gales 
when the vessel is shipping seas. Also horizontal 
ropes stretched between the yard lifts and the mast, 
about four feet above the yard, as a support for 
men on board a ship of war when they are man- 
ning yards. The line shot over a stranded vessel 
by a life-saving crew. 

Lift. — A rope extending from a yardarm to the 
mast to support the yard, and by means of which 
the yard may be topped up, etc. 

Light Sails. — All the sails above the topsails, also 
the studding sails and flying jib. 

Lines. — Ropes used for various purposes aboard 
ships, and known as head-lines, bow-lines, breast- 
lines, quarter-lines, stern-lines, bunt-lines, clew-lines, 
leach-lines, spilling-lines, towing-lines, hauling-lines, 
tripping-lines, etc. 

Lining Cloth. — Extra pieces of canvas sewed on 
the back of square sails to take the chafe. 

Lizard. — A length of rope having one or more 
thimbles spliced into it and used as a leader for 
ropes. 

Long Splice. — Joining two ropes together by in- 
terweaving their strands so that no bulge exists. 

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Wooden Shipbuilding 



Lower Mast. — This is the first mast above the 
deck, which is stepped into the keel. The lower 
masts are named from their position in the ship, 
lower foremast, lower mainmast, lower mizzenmast, 
etc. 

Lower Rigging. — The shrouds and the ratlines 
that belong to the lower masts. 

Lower Shrouds. — The shrouds of the lower fore, 
main, and mizzen masts. 

Lower Yards. — The foreyard, main yard, and 
cross jack. 

Lubber's Hole. — An opening in the top next to 
the mast and through which the shrouds pass after 
going over the lower masthead. It is sufficiently 
large for the passage of a man. To get into the top 
through the lubber's hole instead of over the top- 
rim by the futtock shrouds is considered very un- 
seaman-like, and anyone doing so is called a lubber 
by his shipmates. 

Lubber's Point.— The black vertical line which is 
painted on the inside of a compass bowl, and which 
represents the vessel's head to the helmsman. 

Luff. — The forward edge of the fore-and-aft sails, 
often called the forward leach. The luff of the bow 

128 



Masts and Rigging 



is the place where the rail begins to curve toward 
the bow. 

Luff Cringle. — The iron ring or shape which is 
spliced into the boltrope of a gaff, or into a fore- 
and-aft sail at the junction of the head and luff. Jib- 
headed sails have but three cringles, viz., head, tack, 
and clew. 

Luff Tackle. — A tackle formed of a length of rope 
and a double-and-single block. It is used in various 
ways. 

Luff Upon Luff. — One luff tackle applied to the 
fall of another luff tackle. 

Lug Foresail. — A sail which takes the place of 
the regular working foresail on a schooner. It is 
cut long on the foot so as to sheet about six feet abaft 
the mainmast, and is sometimes bent onto the fore 
boom as far as the spar goes. 

Lugger.— A vessel of one, two, or three masts 
with quadrilateral or four-cornered fore-and-aft 
sails, which are bent to a hoisting yard, the luff being 
about two-thirds of the length of the leach. 



129 



Wooden SMphuilding 



M 



Made. — A made mast is composed of different 
pieces of timber, likewise a made block. Topmasts 
and topgallant masts are nearly always whole spars. 

Magnus or Manner's Hitch. — A round turn around 
a spar, the turn itself being jammed or fastened 
by a half-hitch. 

Main Rigging. — The shrouds and ratlines of the 
main lower mast. 

Mainsail. — The sail that on a ** square-rigger " is 
bent to the main yard, and the sail that on a " f ore- 
and-after '' is spread by the main gaff and the main 
boom. 

Main Shrouds. — The shrouds on the main lower 
mast. 

Mainstay. — The hemp or wire rope that leads from 
the main masthead to the foremast near the deck 
where it sets up. The mainmast is stayed by it, and 
on this stay the main staysail is set. 

Main Topmast Staysail. — The triangular sail that 
hoists between the fore and main masts on square- 
rigged vessels, and also on schooners. 

130 



Masts and Rigging 



Main Yaxd. — The lowest yard on the mainmast 
of a brig, bark, or ship. 

Mainmast. — The mast that is next abaft the fore- 
mast on a vessel that carries two or more masts. 
The single mast carried by sloops, cutters, etc., is 
also called the mainmast. 

Man Rope Knot. — A knot made in the ropes that 
are used in ascending and descending a vessel's side. 

Man Ropes.— Those ropes that hang down from a 
vessel's side to assist in ascending, etc. 

Marl. — To hitch a marline, spun yarn, etc., around 
the parcelling to keep it in place while it is being 
served. 

Marry. — To sew the ends of two ropes together 
temporarily so that there will be no bulge and the 
joined rope will render through a block. This is 
done when reeving new signal halyards and saves 
a climb aloft. 

Martingale. — Sometimes called Martingale boom. 
A short spar that hangs down from an eye-bolt in 
the bowsprit cap to give spread to the head stays. 
The martingale ends in a spear on the lower end, 
which is called the dolphin striker. 

Martingale Stays. — Lengths of rope which are 
hooked or seized to the outer part of the jib boom and 

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Wooden Shipbuilding 



lead to the lower end of the martingale, where they 
set up. They steady the martingale and keep the 
jib boom from jumping. 

Masthead. — The top part of a mast, that part of 
a mast from the crosstrees to the cap. To masthead 
a man is to send him aloft to remain a certain length 
of time as a punishment. To masthead a yard is to 
hoist it by the halyards as far as it will go. This 
is done in making sail after the sail has been sheeted 
home. 

Mast Hole. — A hole in the deck of a vessel, or in 
the thwart of an open boat, for the mast to go 
through. 

Mast Hoop. — A wooden hoop that goes around a 
mast and to which the luff of a fore-and-aft sail is 
seized by robands. These hoops travel up and down 
the mast when the sail is hoisted and lowered. They 
are also called sail hoops. 

Mast Rope. — A rope used in swaying up or strik- 
ing a mast. 

Masting. — Determining the positions in which the 
masts of a vessel are to be placed, also the mechanical 
process of stepping the masts. 

Masts. — ■ The spars which rise above the deck of a 
vessel perpendicularly, and which support the yards, 

132 



Masts amd Rigging 



booms, gaffs, and sails. The lower masts extend 
from the keel where they are stepped to a height 
above the upper deck, and are secured sideways by 
shrouds, and fore-and-aft by stays. Masts are either 
whole or made. 

Matthew Walker Knot. — A knot that is named 
after the originator and used on dead-eye lanyards. 

Middle a Rope. — To double a rope in two equal 
parts. 

Midship Tack. — An additional tack that is found 
on the middle of the foot of some courses. It is 
employed in calms and light airs to keep the foot 
of the sail hauled forward so as to prevent it slap- 
ping back and chafing itself against the mast, when 
the vessel pitches and rolls. 

Mizzen. — The after fore-and-aft sail, which is also 
called the spanker. 

Mizzenmast. — The after mast on a three-masted 
vessel. 

Mizzen Rigging. — The shrouds and ratlines of the 
mizzen lower mast. 

Mizzen Shrouds. — The shrouds of the mizzen lower 
mast. 

133 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Mizzen Stay. — The hemp or wire rope that leads 
from the mizzenmast head to the mainmast near the 
deck, where it sets up. The mizzenmast is stayed 
by it, and on this stay the mizzen staysail is set. 

Monkey Block. — A small swivel block which con- 
tains one sheave and is stropped. 

Monkey Gaff. — The light gaff that is placed above 
the spanker gaff on the mizzenmast of a ship, and 
projects from the topmast head. Signal halyards 
are rove through the end of this gaff. 

Moon Sail. — A small sail which was once carried 
by very lofty ships. It set above the sky sail. 

Mortise Block. — A block which is made out of a 
single piece of wood by having a hole chiseled 
through it for the sheave to turn in. 

Mouse. — A kind of washer put over a chain or 
rope to prevent the latter from slipping farther 
through an aperture. 



N 



Netting. — A rope network that is used aboard 
ships for various purposes, such as a bag to fasten 
to the foot of the fore topmast and jib stays on 

134 



Masts and Rigging 



board of a steamer, and into which those fore-and- 
aft sails are stowed instead of being furled. Also 
the bulwark network which takes the place of panels 
on steam vessels. 

Ninepin Block. — A swivel block which derives its 
name from its shape. 

Nip. — A twist in a rope. 

Nippers. — A short length of rope used to secure 
a cable to the messenger. 

Nock. — The name sometimes applied to the for- 
ward upper comer of a boom sail. 



I 



Outhaul. — The rope that hauls out the clew of 
some boom sails, the tack of a lower studding sail, 
and the head of a sail that brails into the mast. 

Outer Jib. — The head sail, which is next forward 
of the inner jib on some merchant sailing vessels. 

Out Rigger. — A spar, sometimes of iron, which 

projects from the crosstrees to give spread to the 
backstays, or any spar rigged out to give spread to 
rigging, like the whiskers or whisker booms on the 

135 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



bowsprit, the spreaders on each bow for the jib 
sheets, etc. 

Overhaul. — To separate the blocks of a tackle by 
coming up with the hauling part and pulling one 
block away from the other. 

Oversparred. — "When a vessel has heavier masts 
and yards or booms and gaff than are necessary, it 
is oversparred. 



Pacific Irons. — These are studding sail boom irons. 

Parcel. — Long strips of canvas used in parceling. 

Parcel a Seam. — To lay a narrow strip of canvas 
over a seam that has been calked, to prevent it from 
filling with dust, etc., before it is payed. 

Parceling. — To wind long strips of canvas around 
a rope preparatory to serving it. 

Pairal.^ — A rope or iron ring that confines a yard 
to the mast, but permits a vertical movement; in 
other words, which acts as a traveler for the yard 
when it is being hoisted or lowered in setting or furl- 
ing sail. 

136 



Masts cmd Rigging 



Part. — To break a rope or cable. 

Patent Block. — A block in which the sheave works 
on friction rollers ; a circle of little revolving brass 
wheels as a bearing for the pin. 

Paunch Mat. — A thick mat which is used to pre- 
vent yards and rigging from chafing. 

Pazaree. — A rope that is used for guying out the 
clews of the square foresail when before the wind. 

Peak. — The upper after or outer corner of a gaff- 
sail. 

Peak Halyards. — The halyards on a fore-and-aft 
sail which hoist the outboard end of the gaff and 
straighten the leach. 

Pendants. — A length of rope with a block or 
thimble stropped or spliced into one end, and the 
other end secured to the end of a yard, masthead, or 
outboard end of a gaff. The braces reeve through 
blocks on the ends of the brace pendants. 

Pendant Tackle. — A tackle which is hooked to a 
pendant. 

Pillow. — A block of timber on which the inner 
end of the bowsprit rests. 

137 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Pin. — The metal axle of a block. 

Plain Sail. — The regular working sails of a vessel, 
and not such as are set flying like the studding sails, 
balloon sails, etc. 

Point. — To taper the end of a rope. 

Pole. — That part of the highest mast which is 
above the shoulder on which rests the eyes of the 
rigging. A topgallant mast has a royal pole and a 
royal mast has a skysail pole. 

Pole Mast. — A lower mast and topmast in one 
piece. 

Preventer. — A rope which is used as an additional 
support for a spar, as preventer braces, preventer 
backstays, etc. 

Preventer Backstays. — Extra ropes which are 
used as stays during storms at sea for the greater 
security of the masts. 



Quarter. — That part of a yard that is just out- 
side the slings. That part of the vessel's side near 
the stern. 

138 



Masts and Rigging 



Quarter Blocks. — Blocks, which are suspended 
under the quarters of a yard, as leads for the clew 
lines and sheets. 

Quarter Lifts. — The double boom topping lifts, 
that lead from the iron band on that spar up to and 
through single blocks under the eyes of the rigging 
at the lower masthead, thence down on deck. The 
band is placed about one-fourth way from the end 
of the spar. Each hauling part is provided with 
a purchase. 

Quarter Sheet Blocks. — The single blocks that are 
to be seen on some fore-and-aft vessels; which are 
secured to eye bolts in the deck on the ship's quar- 
ters. Through these blocks the main sheet reeves 
in addition to the boom and traveler blocks, and 
they are used to secure an additional purchase on 
the boom. "When fitted this way the bight of the 
sheet is rove through the boom and traveler blocks, 
and the two hauling ends lead through these quarter 
blocks and make fast on the quarter bitts. 



R 

Rack. — To seize two ropes together with turns 
of yarn, etc., so they cannot move. 

Rack Block. — A length of wood which contains 
a number of sheaves that are used as fair leaders. 

139 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Raffee Rail. — A sail in the shape of an equilateral 
triangle A, which is sometimes set over the highest 
yard. The foot of the raffee is spread by the yard, 
and the head or apex of the sail hoists directly 
in front of the mast. This, sail is common to English 
schooner yachts that are rigged to carry a square 
sail, as the raffee is set over the yard. 

Railways. — Iron jackstays bolted under the 
standing gaffs and used on steam vessels where 
booms are not carried. The head of the sail is 
hauled out along the gaff by means of an outhaul, 
and the sail is brailed in when it is desired to furl it. 

Ratline Stuff. — A small tarred line that is used 
to rattle rigging. 

Ratlines. — Short lengths of ratline stuff seized 
and clove-hitched, fourteen inches apart across the 
shrouds, parallel with the sheer poles, and which 
act as the rounds of a ladder for the crew in ascend- 
ing or descending from aloft. All the ratlines extend 
from the swifter, viz., the forward shroud, to the one 
next to the aftermost shroud, but every fifth ratline 
is seized to this after shroud, and is called both a 
catch ratline and a sheer ratline. 

Red Lead Putty. — A mixture of white and red 
lead used for various purposes, such as filling up 
deck seams after calking. 

140 



Masts and Rigging 



Reef -Band. — A band of canvas sewed across the 
sail in order to support the strain placed upon it by 
the reef points. It has earings at each end. 

Reef Cringle. — Galvanized iron rings, called 
thimbles, which are spliced into the boltrope and 
the leaches of square sails, and on the leach and 
luff of fore-and-aft sails at the end of the reef- 
bands, and used to confine the ends of the reef- 
bands to the yard or boom. 

Reef Earing". — On a square sail a reef earing is a 
small line used to secure the reef cringle to the 
yardarm. On a fore-and-aft vessel reef earings are 
short platted lengths of rope, which are passed 
through the reef cringle and around the boom sev- 
eral times so as to keep the leach of the sail secure 
to that spar after the reef points are tied and the 
sail again hoisted. 

Reef Pendant. — A rope that is made fast to the 
reef cringle on the leach, and to which the reef 
tackle is hooked. 

Reef Points. — The short cordage on the reef- 
bands used to tie up the sail in reefing. They are 
often called nettles. 

Reef Tackle. — The tackle which holds the middle 
of the leach of a square sail up to the yard in reefing. 

141 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



On a fore-and-aft vessel the reef tackle hauls the 
reef earing, on the leach of the sail, out along the 
boom. 

Reeve. — To reeve a rope is to pass the end of it 
through a block, dead-eye, bull's-eye, or any aper- 
ture. 

Relieving Tackle. — Tackles which are hooked to 
the tiller in a gale of wind, and by which the vessel 
may be steered in case of injury to the tiller ropes 
or wheel. 

Render. — A rope renders when it passes freely 
through an aperture. 

Return Sound Tubes. — These are tubes placed in 
the wheelhouse of a steamer and which run to the 
engine room to convey sounds, such as bells, etc. 

Ridge Rope. — The rope rove through the holes in 
the upper ends of the awning stanchions to secure 
the sides of the awning to, when it is spread. 

Rigging. — All the ropes of a vessel. 

Rigging Luffs. — Watch tackle purchases which 
are used for setting up rigging. 

Rigging Mat. — A mat that is seized to standing 
rigging to take the chafe. 

142 



Masts and Rigging 



Right-Handed Rope. — Rope that is twisted from 
right to left. 

Ringtail. — A jib-headed sail the foot of which sets 
on an additional boom, rigged out on the end of the 
after boom. Its head hoists to the gaff, and the sail 
itself might be called a spanker-studding sail. It 
is rarely carried. 

Roa>ch. — The curve on the foot of a square sail. 
The roach of a fore-and-aft sail can be on any one 
of its sides. 

Robands or Robans. — These are small pieces of 
manila or spun yarn, which are used to fasten the 
luff of a fore-and-aft sail to the mast hoops or stay 
hanks, and the head of a square sail to its yard. 
Also to secure the head of a fore-and-aft sail to a 
gaff fitted with a jackstay. Manila spun yarn is 
best. 

Rolling Hitch. — A kind of three part heaving line 
bend. 

Rolling Rope. — A rope that is used to steady light 
yards. 

Rolling Tackle. — Tackle which is used during a 
heavy sea for steadying the yards. It is attached 
to the yards and used in various ways. 

143 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Rose Lashing. — A lashing that is made by pass- 
ing the parts alternately over and under, and finish- 
ing by passing the end of the lashing around the 
crossing. Rose seizing means the same. 

Round Line. — Three right-handed yams used for 
heavy service, such as the eyes of rigging, heavy 
seizings, etc. 

Round Seizing. — Seizing that is used on the eyes 
of rigging. 

Royal. — A square sail that is next above a top- 
gallant sail. A ship carries fore, main, and mizzen 
royals. 

Royal Mast. — If it is a fidded royal mast, it is a 
separate spar rising above the topgallant mast; but 
otherwise it is that part of the topgallant mast above 
the shoulder, and terminating on the truck, from 
which the topgallant rigging leads. In the latter 
case it is also called a royal pole. 

Royal Yard. — The yard that is next above the top- 
gallant yard. The royal is bent to the royal yard. 

Runner and Tackle. — A rope rove through a sin- 
gle block which there is a desire to bring down ; one 
end of the rope is secured as a standing part, and 
the other provided with a tackle. 

144 



Masts and Rigging 



Running Bowline. — A bowline made over the 
standing part of its own rope, so that it will form a 
sliding noose. 

Running Rigging.— Includes all the movable ropes 
of a vessel, such as braces, sheets, tacks, clew liues, 
bunt lines, leach lines, halyards, downhauls, reef 
tackles, outhauls, etc. 



Saddles. — These are pieces of wood, sometimes 
called crutches, bolted onto the sides of the masts 
near the deck to receive the weight of the boom 
jaws. 

Sail Covers. — A covering of canvas, which is 
placed over the sails when they are furled to add 
to the neatness of their appearance and to protect 
them. 

Sailmaker's Splice. — A splice made by sailmakers 
in uniting two ropes of different sizes. 

Sails. — The canvas suspended from the yards, 
spread by gaffs and booms, and hoisted upon stays. 
The first are called square sails, the second fore-and- 
aft sails, and the third staysails. 

145 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Schooner. — A fore-and-aft schooner has no yards. 
All her sails are spread by booms and gaffs and by 
hoisting upon stays. A topsail schooner carries a 
fore-and-aft foresail and mainsail, a square fore top- 
sail and topgallant sail, and sometimes a royal. A 
main topsail schooner carries a square topsail on the 
mainmast. Pore-and-aft schooners carry from two 
to five masts, and even more. 

Score.— The groove that is cut in the side of a 
block for the strop to fit into. 

Scotchman. — A piece of wood or hide placed over 
the turnings of rigging to prevent chafe. 

Seize. — To seize a rope to another or to any ob- 
ject is to bind it with small stuff. 

Seizings. — These are named according to posi- 
tion and use. There are throat, round, flat, and eye 
seizings. 

Selvages. — Kope yarn or spun yam marled to- 
gether and used as a strop. 

Sennit. — Rope yarn or spun yarn braided. There 
are several kinds, which are known as flat, French, 
round, and square. The name is derived from the 
way they are braided. 

Serve. — The act of covering a rope by winding 
small stuff, such as spun yam, around it. 

146 



Masts and Bigging 



Service. — The covering of a rope that has been 
served. 

Set Up Rigging. — To tighten the shrouds and 
stays by the aid of purchases. 

Shackle. — An iron shaped like a horseshoe, which 
is closed across the end with a movable bolt. It 
either secures with a thread in one of the eyes of 
the shackle, and is called a screw shackle ; or is pro- 
vided with a pin, which is slipped through the hole 
in the outside end of the bolt, or with a wooden pin, 
which passes through the shackle eye and bolt. The 
latter is used on chain cables. 

Sheave (pronounced shiv). — The wheel within 
the shell of a block. 

Sheave Hale. — The space between the cheeks of 
a block. 

Sheep Shank. — A method employed to temporarily 
shorten a rope. 

Sheer Pole. — A bar of metal that is seized across 
the shrouds and rests on top of the upper dead-eyes. 
The sheer pole keeps the shrouds spread, and acts as 
the first ratline. 

Sheers. — Two or more spars that are raised per- 
pendicularly. Their upper ends are lashed together 

147 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



and supported by guys. To the under part of the 
lashing a tackle block is hooked and the contrivance 
employed for lifting masts in and out. 

Sheet. — A rope that is used ta spread the clews 
of square sails and head sails. "With boom sails, 
sheets are used to control the boom. 

Sheet Anchor. — The anchor that is carried in the 
waist on board men-of-war. 

Sheet Bend. — This bend is made by passing the 
end of one rope through the bight of another, then 
around both parts, and finally under its own part. 

Sheet Bitts. — Bitts near the mast, to which the 
topsail sheets are belayed. 

Shell. — The case of a block in which the sheave 
turns. 

Shifting Backstay. — Backstays that are used only 
as necessity requires. They are always shifted, when 
a vessel goes about, so that the weather ones are 
taut and the lee ones slack. Shifting backstays set 
up with their own permanent tackle, and are noth- 
ing more nor less than preventer stays for the top- 
mast, when the vessel is under a press of sail. When 
not employed they are set up in the after part of 
the channels of the mast to which they belong. 

148 



Masts and Rigging 



I 



Shoe. — A piece or pieces of wood upon which 
the heels of sheers rest, or a piece of wood hollowed 
out for the fluke of the anchor to rest in. 

Shoe Block. — A block having two sheaves, which 
revolve at right angles to each other, one horizontal, 
the other perpendicular. 

Short Splice. — A certain kind of splice put in a 
rope that is not intended to render through a block, 
as this splice, unlike the long splice, makes a bunch 
where the ropes are joined. It requires less length 
of rope to make than the long splice, which is some- 
times an important consideration. 

Shoulder Block. — A block that has a projection 
on one end to keep it in place. 

Shoulder-of -Mutton Sail. — A triangular boat sail. 

Shroud Knot. — A knot put in a shroud to rejoin 
it after it has parted. 

Shroud Laid Rope. — A four-strand rope which is 
laid up right-handed. 

Shrouds. — Ropes of hemp or wire that are fitted 
over the mastheads and extend to the vessel's sides, 
or to the rim of the tops, where they are set up by- 
dead-eyes or turn-buckles to support the masts side- 
ways. 

149 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Side Curtains. — The canvas that extends from the 
ridge ropes to the rail. 

Signal Halyards. — The halyards that reeve 
through a dasher block on the end of the after gaff, 
or through the hole in the trucks, or to any other 
place, and vsrhich are used to hoist signals or flags. 

Single Block. — A block that contains one sheave. 

Single Diamond Knot. — An ornamental knot 
worked with the strands of a rope and used on man- 
ropes, etc. 

Sister Block. — A length of wood that contains two 
sheaves, one of which is placed above the other. 
The outside shell has a score between the two blocks 
for a seizing. 

Skysail. — The sail that is next above the royal. 
A three-skysail-yard ship carries fore, main, and miz- 
zen skysails. 

Skysail Pole. — That part of the royal mast above 
the shoulder, and terminating at the truck, from 
which the royal rigging leads. 

Skysail Yard. — The yard which is next above the 
royal yard. 

Skyscraper. — When a sail is triangular it is called 
a skyscraper. 

150 



Masts and Rigging 



I 



Slab Line. — A line that is used for hauling up the 
foot of a course. 

Slack. — The opposite of taut. 

Slack Cloth. — A certain quantity of canvas al- 
lowed to be gradually gathered up in sewing on 
the boltrope of a sail, otherwise the rope, by stretch- 
ing in consequence of wear, might cause the sail to 
tear. 

Slings. — The chain which connects the center of 
a yard to the mast. Also a length of rope that has its 
ends spliced together, called also a strap. 

Slip Knot. — A knot that slips along a rope around 
which it is made. 

Slip Rope. — A rope arranged so it may be let go 
quickly. 

Slippery Hatch. — A loop or half -bow knot tied in 
a rope after passing it around or through something, 
which will not jamb, and which will untie by pulling 
the hanging end. 

Small Stuff. — A name given to marline, spun yarn, 
etc. 

Smiting Line. — A line which breaks out a yam- 
stopped sail. 

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Wooden Shiphuilding 



Snake. — -To confine two ropes after the manner 
of racking or nippering. 

Snatch Block. — A block that contains one sheave, 
and has; an opening in the side of the shell so that 
the bight of a rope may be passed into it. This 
obviates the necessity of reeving the end. 

Snotter. — A rope used to pull off the lift and 
brace of a light yard when it is being sent down. 

Span. — A rope that has both its ends made fast, 
in the bight or loop of which a purchase is hooked. 
The span of the rigging is the distance from the 
dead-eyes or turn buckles on one side of the ves- 
sel, up over the eyes of the rigging at the masthead 
and down to the dead-eyes or turn buckles on the 
other side. 

Spanish Burton. — A kind of purchase. 

Spanish Windlass. — A wooden roller that is se- 
cured so as to revolve, and which is turned by hitch- 
ing a marline spike, used as a lever, into the bight 
of the rope wound around it. 

Spanker Mast. — The mast on which the spanker 
is set. 

Spars. — A general name applied to masts, booms, 
gaffs, and yards. 

152 



Masts and Rigging 



Spar Varnish. — A varnish of superior quality, that 
is not affected by salt water, soap, grease, or am- 
monia fumes, which is used as a coating for spars and 
all outside or exposed work, or any place where a 
varnish of extra durable quality is required. It is 
sometimes called spar composition. 

Spectacle Irons. — Sometimes called spectacle 
shackles. A three-eyed iron on the clews of courses, 
in which is made fast the tack, etc. 

Spider. — An iron crane that is used to keep a 
block clear of anything. 

Spider Band. — The name sometimes given to the 
band just under the top and to which the futtock 
shrouds are secured. 

Spilling Lines. — Ropes that are temporarily fitted 
to sails and used to spill the wind out of them. 

Spinnaker. — A racing sail shaped like a jib, the 
open foot of which is extended along a light spar 
called a spinnaker boom. It is set on the side op- 
posite to the main boom when the vessel is sailing 
with the wind abaft the beam. 

Splice. — ^To join two ropes together, or to form 
a loop in the end of a rope. 

Spitfire. — A name sometimes given to the storm 
jib. 

153 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Spreaders. — On each bow of very sharp vessels, a 
horizontal bar is rigged out so as to give more spread 
to the head sheets., on the same principle that the 
whiskers spread the jib boom guys. 

Spring Stay. — A horizontal stay, which extends 
from one lower masthead to another lower mast- 
head. 

Sprit. — A staff or small spar which extends diag- 
onally from the mast and is used to hoist the peak 
of small boomless and gaffless sails, which are not 
provided with peak halyards. The upper end of the 
sprit rests in a small grommet or becket and the 
lower end in a snotter, secured to and near the foot 
of the mast. 

Spritsail. — A sail that was formerly suspended 
under the bowsprit from the spritsail yard. Also 
a sail that is extended by a sprit. A sprit gaff-top- 
sail is one that has its luff secured to a sprit that 
extends above the truck, thus lengthening the hoist 
of the sail. 

Spritsail Sheet Knot. — A knot that is made by 
walling and crowing the six strands of the rope to- 
gether, thus forming an eye. 

Spritsail Topgallant Sail. — An old-time sail which 
was set on the flying jib boom in the same manner 
that the spritsail topsail was set on the jib boom. 

154 



Masts and Rigging 



Spritsail Yard. — A yard which was formerly used 
instead of whiskers, which was lashed across the 
bowsprit and used to spread the jib boom guys and 
flying jib boom guys. There was also a sail bent 
to it, which was called a spritsail, and which was 
set under the bowsprit. 

Sprit Topsail. — A topsail set flying from the deck 
with the luff laced to a pole called a sprit ; but this 
sail does not project beyond the gaff end like a club 
topsail. 

Sprung. — Anything that is bent out of shape. 

Spun Yam. — Two or three rope yarns twisted to- 
gether into a cord. 

Spurling Line. — A line that connects the tiller and 
telltale, and by which the latter is made to point 
parallel with the tiller for the benefit of the wheels- 
man. 

Square. — Very long yards are said to be square. 
A sail is called square on the head, when it is long 
on the head. To square a yard is to brace it so it 
will be at right angles to the keel. 

Square by the Braces. — A yard is square by the 

braces when the latter are hauled on so that the 
yard is exactly at right angles to the keel. 

155 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Square by the Lifts. — When the lifts are hauled 
on so as to make the yard perfectly horizontal. 

Square Marks. — A winding of twine placed on the 
lifts and braces, and which, when brought to a cer- 
tain point, indicate that the yard is horizontal and 
at right angles to the keel. 

Squ.are Rigged. — A vessel that carries yards on 
all her masts. 

Square Sail. — A temporary sail which is set on a 
yard hung ju:st below the fore crosstrees of a 
schooner, or sloop, when the wind is abaft the beam. 

Square Stemed. — A vessel the stern of which is 
almost perpendicular and has no overhang. 

Staff.— -A light flag pole. 

Standing — That part of rope or cable that is se- 
cured to something is known as the standing part. 
The part of a hook opposite to the point. The part 
of a tackle which is secured to a block. 

Standing Backstays. — Stays which set up abaft 
the shrouds on each side, and support the masts 
when the vessel is under sail. 

Standing Bowsprit. — A fixed bowsprit, one that 
does not run in and out. 

156 



Masts and Rigging 



Standing Gaff. — Gaffs that are kept throated and 
peaked aloft, on which fore-and-aft sails are set by 
means of an outhaul and furled by means of brails. 
These sails have no booms. 

Standing Gaff-Tapsail. — The regular working top- 
sail which hoists upon the topmast by hoops. Its 
foot is spread by the gaff. 

Standing Rigging. — Stays, shrouds, etc., which 
are secured permanently, and not hauled upon. 

Starboard. — The right-hand side of a vessel when 
looking forward, 

Starboard Tack. — Having the starboard tack of 
a square sail on board, i. e., to have the starboard 
side of the vessel presented to the wind. 

Stay. — -To stay a mast is to support it sideways, 
forward, and aft. 

Stay Holes. — These are small holes that are 
worked in the luff of staysails, in which to secure 
the hanks which fasten the sail to the stay. 

Stays. — Ropes of hemp or steel that are used to 
support masts. The fore-and-aft stays lead forward, 
and include the fore, fore-topmast, jib, flying jib, jib 
topsail, inner jib, outer jib, main, main topmast, mid- 
157 



Wooden Shiphuildmg 



die, main topgallant, main royal, mizzen, mizzen top- 
gallant, mizzen topmast, and mizzen royal stays. 
Those stays which lead down to the vessePs sides 
are called backstays. 

Staysails. — Are those sails which hoist upon 
stays. The fore staysail is the first head sail for- 
ward of the foremast, the main staysail goes between 
the fore and main masts, the mizzen staysail goes 
between the main and mizzen masts. There are also 
middle, topmast, topgallant, and royal staysails. 

Steerage. — The lower deck of a passenger vessel, 
on which the steerage passengers live. 

Steering Bridge. — The bridge on which the steer- 
ing wheel is placed. 

Steering Wheel. — The wheel that is connected 
with the tiller, and by which the vessel is steered. 

Steeve. — A bowsprit steeves in proportion to its 
angular elevation from the horizontal. A long spar 
that has a block at one end and is used in stowing 
some kinds of cargo. 

Step. — To step a mast is to ^x a lower mast in 
position. The framing of wood or iron on the main 
keelson, in which the heel of a lower mast sets, is 
called a step. 

158 



Masts and Rigging 



I 



Stem. — The aft part of a ship, that part of the 
hull which is farthest from the stem or bow. 

Stem Davits. — Davits that project from the stern 
of a vessel and from which a boat is suspended. 

Stem Ladder. — A ladder that hangs over a ves- 
sel's stern for the use of the gig's crew when that 
boat hangs from the stern davits. 

Stem Port. — A window in the stern of a vessel. 

Sticks. — A name sometimes applied to masts. 

Stirrups. — Short ropes that have eyes spliced in 
one end; the other end is seized to the jackstay on 
the yard. The ends in which are the eyes hang 
down and support the f ootropes, which reeve through 
the eyes. 

Stock. — The horizontal cross piece of an anchor, 
which may be either of wood or iron. It is placed 
at right angles to the arms. 

Stools. — Small channels which are placed abaft 
the regular channels, and to the dead-eyes or turn 
buckles of which the backstays set up. 

Stop. — A fastening of small stuff that is used to 
secure a sail to a boom or gaff after it is furled ; on 
a square sail they are called gaskets. 

159 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Stopper. — A short -length of rope, one end of 
which is secured convenient to a running rope or 
cable, and used to check or regulate the motion of 
the latter by winding the stopper around it. There 
are various names applied to the stoppers accord- 
ing to their use, viz., deck, lanyard, dog, bitt, hatch, 
wing, ring, slip, lever, etc. 

Stopper Bolts. — Ring bolts in the deck to which 
the stoppers are fastened. 

Stopper Knot.— A double wall knot in the end of 
a deck stopper. 

Storm Canvas. — Small sails of heavy material, 
which are used during storms in place of the reg- 
ular working sails. 

Storm Jib. — A small jib of heavy canvas that is 
used in bad weather. 

Stow. — To fix anything in place. 

Strand. — One of any number of rope yarns twisted 
together to form a rope or cable. A rope is stranded 
when one of the strands forming it is broken. 

Strap. — A length of rope, the ends of which are 
spliced together so as to form a ring; and used for 
various purposes, such as for slinging bales, for at- 
taching a tackle to any object, etc. 

160 



Masts and Rigging 



I 



Strengthening Pieces. — Extra pieces of canvas, 
which are sewed on the corners of sails, also at the 
reef criagle and along the luff. 

Strop or Strap. — A binding of rope which encir- 
cles and is fitted into the score of a block, in one 
part of which an eye is formed by seizing a thimble 
in the drift, or spare part. Some blocks are iron- 
bound. 

Studding Sails (pronounced stun 'sails). — Light 

auxiliary sails carried in moderate weather when 

there is a fair wind, and which are set outside of 

the square sails on booms rigged out through rings 

on the yards. There are lower, topmast, topgallant, 

and royal studding sails. 

I 
Studding-Sail Boom. — The horizontal bar on 

which the studding sail sets. 

Studding-Sail Brace. — The rope which leads from 
the outboard end of the studding-sail boom to the 
side of the vessel. 

Studding-Sail Halyards. — The ropes with which 
the studding sails are hoisted to the studding-sail 
booms. There are two sets, which are named re- 
spectively inner and outer studding-sail halyards. 

Studding-Sail Halyard Bend. — The bend which 
secures the studding-sail halyards to the studding- 
sail yard. 

161 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Studding-Sail Outhaul. — The tack line of the 
lower studding sail, which leads through a block on 
the end of the swinging boom. 

Studding-Sail Sheet. — The line which secures the 
inner lower corner of a studding sail. 

Studding-Sail Tack. — The rope secured to the 
outer lower corner of a studding sail. 

Studding-Sail Yard. — The light spar to which the 
head of the studding sail is lashed before the sail is 
sent up or aloft. 

Swallow. — The space or opening in a block which 
takes the rope before it passes over the sheave. 

Swifters. — The forward shrouds of a lower mast 
on the port and starboard sides. There are fore, 
main, and mizzen swifters. The lengths of rope 
employed to keep the capstan bars in place are also 
called swifters. 

Swivel. — A metal link that turns upon an axis. 
It is used on cables to keep turns or twists out of 
them. It is also used on iron-bound blocks. 



162 



Masts and Rigging 



Tabling. — The hem on the borders of sails, to 
which the boltrope is sewed. 

Tack. — The tackle by which the clew of a course 
is hauled forward and down; the tack line or tack 
pennant of ,a jfore-and-aft or gaff-topsail is the 
rope that keeps down the tack of the sail. The 
lower forward comer is called the tack of a sail. 
The rope that keeps down the lower outer corner 
of a studding sail is also called the tack. 

Tack Cringle. — The iron ring that is spliced into 
a fore-and-aft sail at the junction of the luff and 
foot. Also the iron shapes spliced into the lower 
corners of square sails. 

Tack Earing. — The length of rope that is passed 
through the tack cringles on a fore-and-aft sail, and 
used to keep the slack luff of the sail down to the 
boom after it has been reefed. 

Tack Tricing Line. — The line by which the tack of 
loose-footed fore-and-aft sails is triced up. 

Tackle. — A purchase of ropes and blocks. 

Tail. — A tail block has a short length of rope 
hanging from the splicing around the block, which 

163 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



takes the place of a hook. A vessel at anchor tails 
up or down stream according to the way her stem 
is turned. 

Tail Tackle. — A watch tackle purchase, which has 
a tail to one of the blocks. 

Tank. — An iron receptacle for containing fresh 
water. 

Tank Toggle. — A short heavy piece of wood which 
is placed inside of a tank, across the manhole, and 
to which a strap is fixed and a block hooked, when 
it is desired to lift the tank. 

Tanned Sails. — Sails that have been soaked in 
an oak bark solution to keep them from mildewing. 

Tar. — The gum of pine trees. It is used on stand- 
ing rigging to protect it from the elements. 

Tarpaulin. — Painted canvas which is used as a 
covering for hatches, etc. 

Taunt. — Tall or high masts are sometimes spoken 
of as taunt masts. A vessel is said to be all-a-taunt-o, 
when she has all her masts and yards aloft, sails 
bent, and rigging in order. 

Taut.— Tight. 

164 



Masts and Rigging 



Telegraph Block. — This is a block with a long 
narrow shell, in which are a number of small sheaves. 
It is used in making signals. 

Telltale. — An inverted dry card compass, hung 
from one of the beams below deck, so that the direc- 
tion the vessel is headed may be known at any .time 
without going on deck. 

Tenon. — The shoulder on the heel of a mast which 
fits into the step or mortise in the main keelson. 

Thick and Thin Block. — A block that has two 
sheaves, one thicker than the other, so as to accom- 
modate different sizes of rope passing over them. 

Thimble. — An iron ring with a groove around its 
outer rim for a rope to fit into, so that it may be 
held in* place when it is spliced, either in the corner 
of a sail as a cringle or in the end of the pendant. 
A thimble prevents chafing. 

Three-Fold Block.— A block that contains three 
sheaves. 

Three-Fold Purchase. — A purchase which is made 
of two blocks, each containing three sheaves. 

Throat.^ The inner end of a gaff, where the 
throat block is hooked. Also that corner of a fore- 

165 



Wooden Shipbuildmg 



and-aft sail which is adjacent to the junction of the 
gaff and the mast. 

Throat Bolt.— The metal eye-bolt in the fhroat 
of the gaff, to which the lower throat halyard block 
is hooked. 

Throat Brail. — The rope which gathers a brailing 
sail up and into the throat of the gaff. 

Throat Halyards. — The halyards which hoist the 
inner end of the gaff, and the luff of a fore-and-aft 
sail, or that part of the sail which is against the 
mast. 

Throat Seizing. — A seizing which secures the end 
of a shroud or stay around a dead-eye, by making 
the end fast to its own standing part after it has 
been fitted around the score. 

Thrum. — To sew the bight of thrums to a piece of 
canvas, the same being used to protect the sails and 
rigging from chafe. 

Thrums. — Short strands of rope which are ob- 
tained by cutting old gear into pieces several inches 
in length, then unlaying the strands. 

Thumb Cleat. — A small cleat on a yardarm to pre- 
vent the turns of the reef earing from slipping along 

166 



Masts, and Rigging 



I 



the yard. Also the little metal crook on the martin- 
gale under which the stays lead and are held in 
place. 

Tie. — The single rope which is bent or fastened 
to a topsail yard in hoisting the spar, and which 
passes either through the sheave hole in the mast 
or through a tie-block at the topmast head. 

Tiller. — The bar of iron or wood which fits into 
the forward side of the rudder head, and by turn- 
ing which the rudder is moved around at different 
angles to the keel. 

Tiller Head.— That end of the tiller which is 
farthest from the rudder. 

Tiller Ropea. — Ropes or chains which lead from 
the tiller to the barrel of the steering wheel. 

Tiller Telltale. — A small arrow on the top of the 
tiller box, connected with the barrel of the wheel, 
and which indicates the position of the tiller by its 
angle with the keel of the vessel. 

Timber Heads. — The ends of timbers which pro- 
ject above the deck, and are used for belaying 
hawsers, etc. 

Timber Hitch. — This hitch is made by passing the 
end of a rope around a spar or timber head, then 

167 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



leading it up under arid over the standing part, and 
passing a couple of turns around its own part. 

Timber Port. — A small port in the bows of ves- 
sels which carry timber and used to run the cargo 
out and in horizontally. 

Timenoguy. — A rope stretched from one point to 
another for the purpose of preventing gear from 
fouling, especially from the stock of the waist anchor 
to the fore rigging to prevent tacks and sheets foul- 
ing with the stock. 

Toggle. — A pin of wood or metal employed to con- 
nect two ropes. The pin slips through between the 
ropes, under a loop in one rope and across an eye 
called a becket, formed in the other rope. Bowlines 
are fastened to their bridles in this manner, and the 
method is also employed to secure ring-buoys so 
that they may be let go quickly in the case of a man 
going overboard. 

Tongue. — The block of wood that is fixed between 
the jaws of a gaff, and which slides that spar up 
and down the mast when the throat halyards are 
handed. This tongue works on a pin which is driven 
through the jaws of the gaff from side to side, so 
that it can play fore-and-aft from the perpendicular 
to accommodate the angle assumed by the gaff when 
being raised. 

168 



Masts and Rigging 



Top. — The platform at the head of a lower mast 
which rests upon the trestletrees, which in turn rest 
upon the hounds of the mast. The top is used to 
give spread to the topmast rigging, and to the rim 
of the structure the rigging is set up to dead-eyes or 
turn-buckles. To top a boom or yard is to elevate 
one end of it by the peak halyards and lift respec- 
tively. 

Top Block. — This is a large iron-bound block 
through which the top-rope reeves when sending up 
or down topmasts. 

Topgallant Mast. — The mast next above the top- 
mast. 

Topgallant Rigging. — The shrouds and their rat- 
lines which belong to the topgallant masts. 

Topgallant Sail. — The third sail above the deck 
on an old-time man-of-war, or where single topsails 
are carried; but the sail which is next above the 
upper topsail on a vessel carrying double topsails. 
Some large merchant vessels divide the topgallant 
sail in the same manner as the topsail, and therefore 
have double topgallant sails named in the same way 
as the topsails, upper and lower. 

Topgallant Shrouds. — The shrouds which are on 
the topgallant masts. 

169 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



Top-Heavy. — When the upper part is too heavy 
for the lower part, it is top-heavy. 

Top Hamper. — All the spars, rigging, etc., which 
are above the deck. 

Top Lining. — An extra piece of canvas that is 
sewed on the after surface of a square sail to take 
the chafe of the top rim. 

Topmast. — The second mast above the deck, or the 
mast which is next above the lower mast. They are 
named according to their location as fore, main, and 
mizzen topmasts. 

Topmast Rigging. — The shrouds and their ratlines 
which belong to the topmasts. 

Topmast Shrouds. — The shrouds on the topmasts. 

Topsail. — The second sail above the deck. Mer- 
chantmen carry double topsails, as they are much 
easier to handle with a limited crew. A ship carries 
fore, main, and mizzen topsails. The topsails are 
named respectively upper and lower topsails. 

Topsail Halyard Bend. — This is made by making 
two turns around the spar, then leading the end 
back around the standing part and under all the 
turns, then bringing it around its own part ajid back 

170 



I 



Masts and Rigging 



again over the two other turns and under the inner 
turn. 

Topsail Schooner. — A vessel that carries a square 
topsail on the fore topmast, the mainmast being pro- 
vided with a fore-and-aft mainsail and a gaff -top- 
sail. 

Topsides. — The sides of a vessel from the water 
line to the bulwark rail. 

Topping. — Raising one end of a spar higher than 
the other. To top the boom, etc. 

Topping Lift. — A purchase for topping a boom 
and sustaining the weight of the after end of the 
same. 

Traveler. — An encircling iron ring which slides 
along a deck horse or up and down a rope. 

Traverse. — To traverse a yard is to brace it in a 
fore-and-aft direction. 

Traverse Board. — An old-fashioned instrument for 
recording the course or several courses made by a 
vessel during a watch. It was a round board with 
the points, half-points, and quarter-points of the 
compass painted upon its rim. In each one of such 
subdivisions of the rim eight gimlet holes were 

171 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



bored, and into one of these, corresponding to the 
vessers course, a peg was placed every half hour. 

Treble Block. — A block which has three sheaves. 
It is the same as a three-fold block. 

Treenails. — Wooden pins which are used to fasten 
a plank to a timber. 

Trestletree. — The two pieces of fore-and-aft hori- 
zontal timber which rest on the hounds of the mast, 
and which support the crosstrees, and across which 
the fid of the mast above rests. 

Triatic Stay. — A wire or hemp rope which is se- 
cured to the head of a topmast of a fore-and-aft ves- 
sel, and leads thence to the lower masthead of the 
mast next abaft, and acts as a support to the top- 
mast. 

Trice. — To haul anything up, as the heel of a 
studding-sail boom, etc. 

Tricing Line. — A line with which anything is 
triced up. 

Trip. — To trip a yard is to swing it from the hori- 
zontal to the perpendicular. 

Tripping Line. — A line that is used in tripping a 
yard. Also the line by which a drag or sea anchor 
is capsized. 

172 



Masts and Rigging 



Truck. — -A circular-shaped piece of wood which 
is placed at the extremity of the highest mast, and 
has small holes or sheaves in it for the signal hal- 
yards to reeve through. 

Trunk Cabin. — The name given to a cabin which is 
half above and half below the upper deck. 

Truss. — An iron fixture which holds the center 
of a lower yard to the mast. 

Trysail Gaff. — A gaff to which the head of a 
trysail is bent. 

Trysails. — These are fore-and-aft gaff -sails, which 
are carried on the fore and main masts of a ship, 
and hoist on small masts called trysail masts, abaft 
the lower mast. These sails are also called spencers, 
while the fore-and-aft sail carried at the mizzen- 
mast of a ship or bark is called a spanker. But all 
these sails are referred to as trysails when set dur- 
ing gales of wind, in order to lay the vessel to or 
to head-reach under them. 

Turk's-Head Knot. — A fancy knot made in the 
upper ends of manropes, etc. 

Turn. — To pass a rope or chain around a pin or 
bitts as a fastening for the former is known as 
catching or taking a turn. To turn in a dead-eye, is 

173 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



to strop it with the end of a shroud. Turn the glass, 
is to turn the sand glass over when heaving the 
log. 

Turn-Buckle. — A simple mechanical device con- 
sisting of a thread and screw, which is kept per- 
manently on standing rigging for setting it up. 

Twice-Laid Rape. — Rope that has been laid up 
from old yams. 

Two-Fold Block. — A block which has two sheaves. 

Two-Fold Purchase. — A purchase which has two 
double blocks. 

Two HaJf Hitches. — Often used as a mooring hitch. 
It is made by passing the end of a rope around the 
standing part and bringing it up through its own 
bight, and then repeating the latter part. 

Two Topsail Schooner. — A vessel which carries 
a square topsail on the fore topmast and also on the 
main topmast. 

Tye (see Tie). 

Tyers. — Short lengths of rope which are used for 
tying up a sail. They take the place of gaskets. 



174 



Masts and Rigging 



I 



Under Foot. — When the anchor is directly below 
the hawse pipe, it is under foot. 

Undermasted. — When the masts are either too 
short or too slender for the vessel, it is undermasted. 

Unfurl. — To cast loose a sail, to throw the gaskets 
off a sail. 

Unreeve. — To draw a rope out of a block. 

Up and Down. — Anything that is in a perpendicu- 
lar position, as the yards are up and down the rig- 
ging. 

Upper Topgallant Sail (see Topgallant Sail). 

Upper Topsail (see Topsail). 

Upper Works. — The sides of the vessel from the 
water line to the covering board. 



Vane. — A fly carried at the truck, made of bunt- 
ing, which traverses on a spindle and shows the 
direction of the wind. 

175 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Vangs. — Kopes for steadying a gaff, which are 
secured to the outer end of the spar and lead to the 
rail on each side. 

Vessel. — A general term that is applied to all 
classes of square and fore-and-aft rigged vehicles 
of navigation. 

Viol. — A large messenger, which was once used in 
weighing anchor by the capstan. 

Viol Block. — A large single block that is used with 
a viol. 



W 



Waist. — That part of the deck which lies between 
the forecastle and quarter-deck. 

Wall Knot. — A knot worked in the end of a rope 
by crossing and looping the strands. 

Washboards. — Lengths of thin plank, which are 
fastened to and project above the gunwales of boats 
and small low-sided vessels to keep the spray out 
and increase the freeboard. They are also called 
wash strakes. 

Watch Tackle. — A purchase that is formed of a 
double and single block. The single block is pro- 

176 



Masts and Rigging 



vided with a hook and the double block with a tail. 
Also called a '' jigger " and '' handy billy." 

Water Laid Rope.— A name that is sometimes 
applied to rope that is laid up left-handed. 

Water Sail, also called Save-all. — A kind of stud- 
ding sail, which is set under the swinging boom. It 
is seldom used. 

Wedding Knot. — A crossed seizing that is placed 
between two eyes. 

Wedge Fid. — A two-part wedge-shaped fid. 

Well. — A cockpit. The boxed-in space which en- 
closes the pumps of a vessel. 

Wheel. — The instrument that is used to steer a 
vessel. It is connected with a barrel around which 
the tiller ropes wind. 

Wheel Chains. — Chains used in place of ropes to 
connect the steering wheel with the tiller. 

Wheelhouse. — The house on deck which contains 
the wheel, which in turn is connected with the tiller, 
and by which the vessel is steered. 

Wheel Rods. — Lengths of straight rod along the 
waterways, that take the place of a part of the wheel 
rope or chain. 

177 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Wheel Rope. — The rope which connects the steer- 
ing wheel with the tiller. 

Whelps. — Pieces of iron which are bolted to 
wooden windlass barrels to prevent the chain cable 
from cutting into the wood. 

Whip. — A purchase formed of one single block 
with a small rope rove through it. To prevent the 
end of a rope from fagging by seizing it around with 
twine. A double whip has two single blocks. 

Whip and Runner. — A whip, the block of which 
is spliced into a pendant. One end of the whip is 
made fast, the bight rove through the pendant block, 
and the other end is the hauling part. 

Whip Upon Whip. — One whip applied to the fall 
of another. 

Whipping. — The binding of twine that is placed 
around the end of a rope to keep it from fraying. 

Whiskers. — -Spars or irons that project from the 
bowsprit, for the purpose of giving more spread to 
the jib boom guys. 

White Lead Putty. — A putty made of white lead 
and whiting, and used to fill deck seams on yachts. 



178 



Masts and Rigging 



Winch. — A horizontal barrel that is turned by a 
crank. A mast winch is on the deck just in front 
of the mast, and is used to hoist yards and gaffs when 
making sail. 

Wind Sail. — A long funnel-shaped canvas, which 
leads below through one of the hatches. It is kept 
spread by wooden hoops, and is used to send fresh 
air below decks. An opening in its upper part, or 
head, admits the air, which is gathered by two large 
canvas flaps, or ears, standing out on each side, and 
trimmed by bowlines. The wind sail hoists by hal- 
yards, and is slued around as often as necessary to 
face the wind. 

Windlass. — The machine by which an anchor is 
hoisted. 

Windlass Bitts. — The upright supports for the 
barrel of the windlass. These uprights are also 
called carrick-heads, carrick-bitts, and windlass- 
heads. 

Windlass Capstan. — A combination of a windlass 
and a capstan, in which the windlass moves the 
spindle of the capstan by means of gearing. 

Wing. — That part of the hold which is next the 
side. 

J79 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



Wire Rigging. — Standing rigging of wire rope, 
which has almost entirely taken the place of hemp 
standing rigging. 

With the Sun. — A rope which is laid up from right 
to left is said to be laid up with the sun. 

Woodlock.^ A block of wood that is bolted to the 
rudderstock under one of the pintles, so as to prevent 
the rudder from unshipping. 

Woolding. — The winding of rope around a spar 
after it has been fished. 

Working Jib. — The regular jib, one of the head 
sails. 

Working sails. — All the regular sails of a vessel, 
except such as are rigged specially in light breezes. 
Under the latter head would be studding sails for a 
ship, and club topsails and balloon sails for fore-and- 
aft vessels. 

Working Topsail. — Known also as the standing 
and the gaff-topsail, as distinct from the sprit or 
club topsails, which are hoisted from the deck and 
set flying. 

Working Up. — To make spun yam, etc., out of 
the strands of old rigging. 

180 



Masts and Rigging 



Worm. — Filling up the lays of a rope with spiral 
windings of small stuff. 

Wring. — To strain unduly. To wring a mast is 
to buckle it by setting the shrouds up too tight. 

Wythe. — An iron ring fitted to the end of a boom, 
as a cap, through which a spar is rigged out. It is 
also called a boom iron. 



Y 

Yacht. — A vessel used for pleasure, or for racing. 

Yard. — A spar that is suspended horizontally to 
the forward side of a mast, and to which the head 
of a square sail is bent. Yards also spread the foot 
of the sail next above. They are hoisted by halyards, 
turned by braces, and supported by lifts. The mid- 
dle of the yard is called the slings, the ends of the 
yard the yardarms, and that part between the slings 
and yardarms the quarters. Lower yards are hung 
in a truss, and upper yards confined to the mast by 
parrals. There are lower yards, topsail yards, top- 
gallant yards, royal yards, and skysail yards. 

Yard A-Box. — A yard is a-box when its sail is 
aback. 

Yardarm (see Arm). 

181 



Wooden Shipbuildmg 



Yard Rope. — A rope that is used in sending up 
and down yards. 

Yard Tackle. — A heavy tackle that is hooked into 
a strop on lower yards, and used for hoisting heavy 
weights. 

Yoke. — A horizontal piece of wood or metal, which 
is placed across the head of a boat's rudder, to each 
end of which a yoke line is secured, and by which 
the boat is steered. 

Yoke Lines. — Short pieces of rope that are fas- 
tened to the yoke, and by pulling which the rudder 
is turned. 



I 



183 



METHODS OF MASTING 

The English method of sparring ships is as fol- 
lows: Let L represent the length of the ship be- 
tween the stem and sternpost on the deck, and B the 
breadth to the outside of the wales ; the whole length 

of the mainmast will be , its diameter seven- 

2 

eighths (%) of an inch for each three (3) feet of 
length of the mast; foremast, eight-ninths (8/9) of 
the mainmast; mizzen, three-fourths (%) of the 
main, diameter two-thirds (2/3) of the mainmast; 
main topmast, three-fifths (3/5) of the mainmast, di- 
ameter one (1) inch per three feet; fore topmast 
eight-ninths (8/9) of the main topmast; mizzen top- 
mast, five-sevenths (5/7), diameter seven-tenths 
(7/10) of the main topmast; topgallant mast, one- 
half (%) of the topmast, diameter one (1) inch per 
three (3) feet; royal masts, three-fourths (%) of 
the topgallant masts, diameter two-thirds (2/3) of 
the topgallant masts; whole length of bowsprit, 
three-sevenths (3/7) of the main mast; outboard, 
three-fourths (%) of this length, diameter same as 
that of the foremast; jib boom outside of the cap 
of the same, as the bowsprit outboard, diameter one 
(1) inch for two and one-half (2i/^) feet of length; 

183 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



flying jib boom, five-sevenths (5/7) of the jib boom, 
diameter seven-eighths (%) of an inch for three (3) 
feet of length; main yard, seven-eighths CYs) of the 
mainmast, diameter seven-tenths (7/10) of an inch 
per three (3) feet; fore yard, seven-eighths (Ys) of 
the main yard; mizzen, or cross jack yard, same as 
the fore topsail yard, diameter five-eighths (%) of 
an inch per three (3) feet; main topsail yard, five- 
sevenths (5/7) of the main yard, diameter five- 
eighths (%) of an inch per three (3) feet; fore top- 
sail yard, seven-eighths (%) of the main topsail 
yard; mizzen topsail yard, two-thirds (2/3) of the 
main topsail yard ; topgallant yard, three-fifths (3/5) 
of the topsail yard; royal yards, one-half (%) of 
the topsail yards ; mizzen boom, the same as the main 
topsail yard; gaff, five-eighths (%) of the boom, 
diameter five-eighths (%) of an inch per three (3) 
feet of length. 

The rule in the United States for masting ships 
is doubtless the most variable on the globe. Of the 
most prominent builders in the past, each one has 
professed to have a method peculiar to himself. 
Some tangible results have been gained from several 
of the best proportioned, double-decked freighting 
ships ; not, however, as to the mode of adapting the 
stations and dimensions to the peculiarities of the 
model, for this would be admitting that ships are 
thus sparred, which is not done. The idea that any 
system of sparring ships or other vessels is adopted 
in this more than in any other country, cannot be 

184 



Methods of Masting 



entertained. All the changes that have been made 
from the common rules, or well-known usages, have 
been made in accordance with the opinions of the 
builders, without reference to the lateral resistance, 
the very basis of propulsion by sails. But while 
American shipbuilders have varied from the rules of 
a stereotyped age, there is good reason for the be- 
lief that they will yet recognize a system worthy 
of themselves, of the age, and of the country in 
which they live. The following is the result of the 
deductions referred to : Let the load line from the 
aft side of the stem to the fore side of the sternpost 
be divided into seven hundred and sixty (760) parts ; 
of these, take one hundred and fifty (150) parts from 
the stem to the center of the foremast; thence to 
the center of the mainmast, two hundred and sixty- 
four (264) parts ; thence to the center of the mizzen- 
mast, two hundred and eleven (211) parts; and one 
hundred and thirty-five (135) parts will remain. 
Eleven-twentieths (11/20) of the length of the load 
line should be the length of the mainmast; fore- 
mast, eighteen-nineteenths (18/19) of the mainmast; 
mizzenmast, seventeen-nineteenths (17/19) of the 
mainmast; main topmast, ten-nineteenths (10/19) of 
the mainmast; main topgallant mast, twelve-twen- 
tieths (12/20) of the main top-mast; royal, fourteen- 
twentieths (14/20) of the topgallant; skysail mast, 
ten-fourteenths (10/14) of the royal; main yard, 
seven-eighths (Ys) of the length of the mainmast; 
main topsail yard, fourteen-seventeenths (14/17) of 

185 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



the lower yard; main topgallant yard, thirty-seven 
forty-ninths (37/49) of the topsail yard; main royal, 
twenty-eight thirty-sevenths (28/37) of the topgal- 
lant; main sky sail, twenty twenty-eighths (20/28) 
of the royal. The fore topmast, topgallant, and 
royal should bear the same ratio to the lower masts 
that the main does; likewise the mizzen topmast, 
etc. The fore yard, topsail yard, topgallant, and 
royal will have the same ratio as the main; the 
mizzen likewise will be so related ; as a consequence 
the fore yard will be eighteen-nineteenths (18/19) 
of the main yard ; and the fore topsail yard, f ourteen- 
seventeenths (14/17) of the lower yard; the top- 
gallant, thirty-seven forty-ninths (37/49) of the top- 
sail yard; etc.; the crossjack yard, seventeen-nine- 
teenths (17/19) of the main yard; mizzen topsail 
yard, fourteen-seventeenths (14/17) of the crossjack 
yard; bowsprit outboard, one-third (%) of the fore- 
mast; jib boom, eighteen twenty-fourths (18/24) of 
the outboard part of the bowsprit; spanker boom, 
one-half (%) the length of the foremast; gaff, twen- 
ty-five thirty-sixths (25/36) of the length of the 
boom. This rule will also apply to brigs. 

The methods of masting schooners are so variable 
that little tangible information can be secured; the 
hoist of sails ranging from twice to two and two- 
thirds (2%) times the breadth of the beam. The 
masts are sometimes stationed in the following order : 
Divide the length of the deck into seven huiidred 
and fifty-six (756) parts; take one hundred and 

186 



Methods of Masting 



ninety-two (192) parts from forward to the center 
of the foremast; two hundred and fifty-eight (258) 
parts from the center of the foremast to that of the 
main; three hundred and thirty -six (336) parts for 
the foot leach of the foresail; four hundred and 
eight (408) parts for the foot leach of the mainsail; 
one-half of the latter for the head leach of both 
sails; and three hundred and forty-eight (348) parts 
for the foot leach of the jib. These proportions 
apply principally to fast-sailing coasting vessels, but 
flat wide schooners with center boards have a greater 
proportion of sail ; there is no rule that is invariable. 
The schooners of the United States are not built 
as the English ships are, principally in large cities ; 
but are built wherever timber and capital are found 
and there is water enough to launch them; hence 
the diversity in dimensions and shape and distribu- 
tion of sail. 

For sloops, the spars are less variable. In general 
the hoist of the mainsail is two and one-half (2%) 
times the breadth; foot leach, three (3) times the 
breadth added to the depth; after leach, three (3) 
breadths added to three (3) depths of hold; jib stay, 
the same as the foot leach of the mainsail; after 
leach of the jib, the same as the hoist of the main- 
sail; head of the mainsail, the breadth added to 
three (3) times the depth ; the foot leach of the jib, 
the same; station of the mast, three-fourths (%) 
of the breadth from the forward part of the deck; 
rake, one-half (%) inch to the foot, that of schooners 

187 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



being usually from five-eighths (%) to seven-eighths 
iYs) of an inch. 

With regard to the rake of the masts, an almost 
universal error seems to have prevailed. The orig- 
inal design, in raking masts, was to get lifting power. 
In vessels with fore-and-aft sails, both masts are 
raked as if both ends could be lifted by the power 
of the wind at the same time. It must be evident 
that if the vessel displaces a volume of water equal 
in weight to the weight of the vessel, that if the bow 
is depressed by the power of the wind, the center of 
propulsion is too high or too far forward. It fol- 
lows, then, that whatever power is expended in an 
effort to lift the vessel is lost as a propelling power ; 
and if the vessel's head is depressed, it is not be- 
cause the masts do not rake enough, but because the 
altitude of the center of propulsion is above a just 
proportion of this lifting tendency, consequent upon 
the rake. Were this what it is assumed to be, the 
proper method would be to rake the foremast only. 
However, it should be remembered that any very 
considerable rake to a vessel's masts has a tendency 
to depress the vessel when an inclination takes place. 
The lifting power, therefore, operates adversely 
when the vessel is careened to any very considerable 
extent. 



188 



EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIA- 
TIONS USED IN THE FOLLOWING TABLES 

C Clump block 

D Double block 

DE Dead-eye 

F Fiddle 

H Heart 

* Hook and thimble 

IBS Iron-bound single block 

IBSC Iron-bound single clump block 

IBD Iron-bound double block 

PI. DE Plates with dead-eyea 

S Single block 

S C Single clump block 

Sis Sister block 

St. bd Strap-bound block 

T Thimble 

Tr Treble block 

Trav Traveler 



THE SIZE OF STANDING AND RUNNING 
RIGGING OF MERCHANT SHIPS 



NAMES OF RIGGING 



Ship op 1100 Tons 



Size of 

Rope 

in 

Inches 



Blocks, etc. 



Description 



Size in 
Inches 



Number 



Bowsprit Gear 

Gammoning (chain for all 
of vessels) 

Shrouds (chain) 

Lanyards for shrouds (four- 
stranded) 

Bobstays (chains) 

Lanyards for bobstays 

Manropes 



Jib Boom Gear 
Jib stay and strapping 

Guys (single) 

Falls 

Footropes 

Martingale stay 

Martingale back ropes 

Martingale falls 



Halyards . 
Downhaul , 

Sheets 

Pendants. . 



Flying Jib Boom Gear 

Flying jib stay 

Guys 

Stay tackle falls 



51 
5 
3 
3 

7 

41 

21 

31 
21 
3 
4^ 



H 



Footropes. 



10 
12 



11 
9 



r 8 

18 

10 

8 

9 



191 



Wooden Shiphuilding 



NAMES OF RIGGING 



Flying Jib Boom Gear {Cont'd) 

Martingale stay 

Halyards and strapping 

Downhaul and strapping 

Sheets 

Heel lashing 



Fore and Main Masts 

Pendants 

Shrouds 

Lanyards for shrouds 

Stays 

Collars for stays 

Runners of tackles (double blocks, 

upper lashed to pendants) 

Falls of tackles 

Ratlines 



Fore and Main Yards 
Slings proper (to go over cap), 

chain for all vessels 

Jackstay (bending) iron 

Footropes 

Stirrups 

Lifts 

Braces 

Barings (four in number) 

Tacks (tapered) or chain 

Sheets (tapered) 

Clew garnets 

Bowlines and bridles 



Buntlines and falls. 



Leach lines 

Slab line and strapping. . . 
Jigger falls and strapping. 



Fore staysail stay. 
Halyards 



Ship of 1100 Tons 



Size of 
Rope 

in 
Inches 



4 
2 



3 

4 

4 

2 

5 

5 

3i 

4 



Blocks, etc. 



Description 



T 
DE 



C 
C 

St. bd. 
S 
T 
D 

S 

s 
s 

D* 

s* 
c 
s 



Size in 
Inches 



16 



13 



10 
10 
11 
12 

10 
.10 

8 

7 

' 8 

12 
9 



192 



Tables of Rigging 



NAMES OF RIGGING 



Fore and Main Yards {Confd) 
Sheets 



Tack lashing 

Downhaul 

Lower studding sail — 

Halyards 

Inner halyards 

Span for outer halyard . 
Lower studding sail — 

Sheets 

Tack 

Tripping line 

Strapping and tailing. 

Swinging boom guys . 



Fore and Main Topmasts 

Shrouds 

Lanyards for shrouds 

Ratlines 

Standing backstays 

Lanyards for backstays 

Burton pendants 

Falls and strapping 



Stays 

Lanyards 

Futtock shrouds. 



Ratlines 

Staysail halyards . 

Downhaul 

Strapping 

Pendants 

Sheets 

Tack lashing 



Fore and Main Topsail Yards 

Topsail ties (all chain) 

Halyards for topsail ties 



Size of 
Rope 

in 
Inches 



6 
3 
1 

7 

3i 

4§ 



7 
3 
6 

U 

1 

3 

2h 

2h 

4i 



Ship of 1100 Tons 



Blocks, etc. 



Description 



DE 



DE 



PI. DE 



IBS 
D 

S* 



Size in 
Inches 



10 



17 

fl3 
113 



Number 



193 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



NAMES OF RIGGING 



Fore and Main Topsail Yards 
(Cont'd) 

Strapping bullock blocks 

Jackstays (iron) 

Footropes 

Stirrups 

Flemish horses 

Braces 



Lifts 

Parral rope 

Clew lines and strapping. . . 
Buntlines and strapping. . . 

Span 

Bowlines and strapping — 
Reef tackles and strapping. 



Sheets (all chain) 

Studding-sail halyards. 

Sheets 

Tacks 

Downhaul 

Boom jiggers 



Heel lashing 

Boom brace pendant. 
Whip 



Fore and Main Topgallant 
Masts 

Shrouds 

Lanyards for shrouds 

Backstays 

Lanyards 

Stay 

Tackle fall and strapping 



Royal stay.. 
Backstays. 
Lanyards. . 



Ship of 1100 Tons 



Size of 
Rope 

in 
Inches 



31 
2 
2h 
3 

3i 

4 

31 

3 

3 

3 

3 



Si 
31 
2 
2 

3 

31 
2 



4 
2 

41 

2 

4 



21 
2h 
1 



Blocks, etc. 



Description 



s 
s 

Sis. 



St. bd. 

S 

T 

S 

S 

T 



DE 



,S* 



Size in 
Inches 



17 



10 

9 

14 



11 
9 



9 
/9 



11 



11 

6 

' 7 



194 



Tables of Rigging 








Ship op 1100 Tons 




Size of 
Rope 

in 
Inches 


Blocks, etc. 


NAMES OF RIGGING 


Description 


Size in 
Inches 


Number 


Fore and Main Topgallant 
Yards 
Halyards and strapping 


31 


% 


111 


/ 1 
1 1 


Jackstay (iron) 


Footropes 


21 

2i 

3 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3f 

1 

21 

2 

2 

n 

2i 








Braces and strapping 


S 
T 


6 


6 


Lifts 

Parral ropes 


2 


Clew lines 


1, 

S 
T 


6 
6 
6 


2 


Straps for quarter blocks 

Bowlines and strapping 


2 
2 


Bridles . . . 


2 


Sheets 




Earings ... . . 








Studding-sail halyards 


S 


7 


4 


Sheets ... 




Tacks and strapping 


S 

s 


6 
5 


2 


Downhaul and strapping 


2 


Fore and Main Royal Yards 
Halyards 




Jackstay (iron) 








Footropes 


1 

2 
2 

1 
1 
1 

21 
\ 

61 
3 
4^ 
3 

u 








Braces and strapping 


s 

T 


5 


2 


Lifts 


2 


Parral lashing 




Clew lines and strapping 


s 

T 


4 


2 


Bowlines 


2 


Sheets 




Earings 








Mizzenmast 
Shrouds 


DE 


9 


12 


Lanvards for shrouds 




Burton pendants 


T 

is* 


■fio" 

\10 


2 


Falls and strapping 


[I 




Stay 


T 




i 



195 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



NAMES OF RIGGING 



Size of 
Rope 

in 
Inches 



Ship OF 1100 Tons 



Blocks, etc. 



Description 



Size in 
Inches 



Number 



MizzENMAST (Cont'd) 
Seizings 



Lanyards. 



Crossjack Yard 
Slings (chain for all vessels) , 

Trusses (iron) 

Footropes 

Stirrups 

Lifts 

Braces and strapping 



MizzEN Topmast 

Shrouds 

Lanyards and shrouds 

Stay 

Ratlines 

Backstays 

Lanyards 

Futtock shrouds , 



MizzEN Topsail Yard 

Topsail ties (chain) 

Halyards for tie and strapping. 



Jackstay (iron) 

Footropes 

Stirrups 

Flemish horses 

Parralrope 

Lifts 

Braces 

Sheets (chain) 

Clew lines and strapping. 
Buntlines and strapping. 

Span 

Bowlines and strapping. . 

Bridles 

Reef tackles 



n 



3 

2| 

21 



DE 



DB 



2h 



PhDE 



IBS 
D 



Sis. 
S 



St. bd 

S 
T 
S 
T 



196 



Tables of Rigging 



NAMES OF RIGGING 



MizzEN Topsail Yard (Cont'd) 
Earings 



MizzEN Topgallant Mast 
Shrouds 

Lanyards 

Backstays 

Lanyards 

Stay 

Lanyard 

Royal stay 

Backstays 

Lanyards 



MizzEN Topgallant Yaed 

Jackstays (iron) 

Footropes 

Parral lashing 

Lifts 

Halyards and strapping 

Sheets 

Clew lines 

Bowlines and strapping 

Bridles 

Earings 

Strapping, quarter blocks 



MizzEN Rotal Yard 

Jackstays (iron) 

Footropes 

Braces and strapping 

Parral lashing 

Lifts 

Halyards 

Clew lines and strapping 

Earings (marline) , 

Sheets 



Ship OP 1100 Tons 



Size of 
Rope 

in 
Inches 



3 

H 

3 

H 

3 

u 

2 

2 
1 



^2 

H 

2 

2 
U 



Blocks, etc. 



Description 



D 



Size in 
Inches 



Number 



197 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



NAMES OF RIGGING 



SHIP OF 1100 T0N3 



Size of 
Rope 

in 
Inches 



Blocks, etc. 



Description 



Size in 
Inches 



Number 



Spanker Boom 

Topping lifts 

Falls and strapping 

Boom sheet 

Outhaul 

Guy pendants 

Falls and strapping 

Gaff 
Throat halyards 

Peak halyards and strapping 

Vang pendants 

Falls and strapping 

Peak brails 

Throat brails 

Middle brails 

Hook brails 



41 
3 

31 
3^ 



4 

4 

3i 
2 

2 
2§ 
2 
2 



S 
D 
S* 

D 

C 




D 

S* 

s 

Tr. 
D 

S 



13 

r 9 
11 

7 



198 



Tables of Rigging 



TABLE OF RIGGING FOR SCHOONERS OF 
180 TO 200 TONS 



NAISIES OF 
RIGGING 


Ropes or 
Chains, 
Size in 
Inches 


Description 
Blocks, etc. 


1 


S 
1 


§ 


1 


Bowsprit 
Gammoning (iron 
clamp) 














Shrouds (chain) 

Bobstays (chain) 

Jib Boom 


f 

5 
8 

5 

21 

5 

3f 

2^ 

2| 
2^ 

21 
31 

21 
2f 
4* 
2! 
































Purchase 


IBD 

SC 


2 
2 


7 
7 






Guys 

Runners 






2 


2 


Falls 


/IBS 

IF 


[l 


{.I 










Martingale stay 
(chain) . . 






Back ropes 


\IBS 


{1 


{I 










Falls 






Footropes 












Heel rope 


IBS 

S 


1 

2 


9 

8 






Jib halyards 






Tack (traveler) 






Downhaul 


s 
s 
s 


1 
1 
2 


6 
9 

8 






Outhaul 

Sheet pendants 

Sheets 


1 

"2" 


1 
1 
2 


Jib topsail halyards 
(square-sail hal- 
yards always 
used) 










Tack. 


If 
21 

6i 












Sheets . 












Foremast 
Shrouds and pend- 
ants 


/DE 

\sc 


{I 


it 



















199 



Wooden Shipbuilding 






NAMES OF 
RIGGING 


Ropes or 
Chains, 
Size in 
Inches 


Description 

Blocks, etc. 


1-1 


1 


1 


^ 


Foremast (Cont'd) 
Ratlines 


9thr. 












Runners of tackles... . 


41 
2h 

9 

? 

2i 

21 
3f 

2i 

2i 
2| 

2h 
2\ 
21 
31 

2h 
3 

3i 
3J 

If 

SJ 
If 

2| 

31 
2 

31 








2 


2 


FaUs 


\IBS 


[1 


[l 










Forestay 






Lanyard 












Storm stay 












Lanyard 












Lacing 












Halyard 


IBS 


2 


9 






Tack 


1 


1 


Fall 

Downhaul 


/IBD 
\IBS 

S 

\IBD 

IBD 
IBS 


{1 

(i 

2 
2 


{I 

8 
6 


{-^ 


Sheets 












Fore Yard 
Square sail halyards 






Braces ... 


4 




Lifts 




Yard ropes 


D 
D 


2 

1 


9 

7 






Topsail Yard 
Square topsail sheets 
Halyards 











Fore Topmast 
Shrouds 












Stay 












Tackle . . . 


\IBS 


{1 


{^ 












Backstays 




2 


Tackle 


IBD 


4 


6 






Mast rope 






Gaff Foresail 
Throat halyards 

Tricing line 

Peak halyards 


IBD 

S 
IBS 


2 
2 
5 


10 

7 

10 






2 





200 



Tables of Rigging 



NAMES OF 
RIGGING 



Ropes or 
Chains, 
Size in 
Inches 



Description 

of 
Blocks, etc. 



Gaff Foresail 

(Coned) 
Purchase 

Downhaul 

Fore sheets 

Fore Gaff Topsail 

Halyards 

Sheet 

Tackle 

Downhaul 

Mainmast 

Shrouds 

Pendants 

Runners 

FaUs 

Jumper stays 

Runners 

Tackles 

Boom Mainsail 

Main halyards 

Peak halyards 

Purchase 

Downhaul 

Tack tackle 

Tack tricing line. . 

Reef earings 

Lacing. 

Main Boom 

Topping lifts 

Tackle falls 

Boom sheets 



5 
4 

^ 

2f 



3f 
2 

If 
2 

2 

1 



IBS 

D 

S 

IBD 

D 

Trav. 
S 
D 
IBS 

S 

DE 

SC 



D 

IBS 

IBSC 



IBD 



IBD 

IBS 

D 

IBS 

S 

/IBD 
\IBS 

S 




1 

/ 1 

I 1 

1 



7 
/6 
\6 

5 



11 

9' 



201 



Wooden Shipbuilding 



NAMES OF 
RIGGING 


Ropes or 
Chains, 
Size in 
Inches 


Description 
Blocks, etc. 


1 




1 


1 


Main Boom (Cont'd) 
Reef tackle 


2i 

4 

2i 

3i 
3i 
If 

ll 

3 

3 

21 
21 
If 

11 


[F 
\IBS 


{1 


{V^ 












Boom guy pendant. . . 


1 


1 


Guy tackle 


(? 


{} 


{I 










Main Topmast 
Shrouds 




4 


Backstays 










2 


Tackles 


IBD 


4 


6 






Jumper stays 

Tackles 






S 


4 


6 






Mast rope 






Main Gaff Topsail 
Halyards 


Trav. 

S 










Sheets 


1 


7 






Tack 


1 


1 


Tackle 


\IBS 
S 


(1 

1 


!• 










Downhaul 








1 



202 



9 6Ze Z.90 TZ0 



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